THE STRATEGIC CASE THAT IS BRETT GARDNER

For the past two seasons I have watched Brett Gardner, and every time he made a great play in the outfield, stole a bag, or came through at the plate the more I liked him. Gardner has been worth every penny the Yankees have paid him, and let’s be honest….he is a steal. In fact, he is so much of a steal that other teams are noticing and his name is already in the minds of other club managers and they have made calls inquiring of his status. So, with all of this in mind, I pose an interesting question….to extend or not to extend? No matter how you look at this, there are pros and cons to both scenarios.

So what are some of the benefits of extending Gardner’s contract? Well, Gardner is about to enter his first year of arbitration, so it would be easier to ensure that he stays in pinstripes at a more reasonable rate. Currently, Gardner makes $3.3million a year, which is pocket change to the Yankees. The Yankees could take a lesson from the Rays organization who have been known to do that with some of their players like Evan Longoria for example. This thought process has worked out well for the Rays, and maybe it could for the Yankees. If you want something more factual than look at statistics; his UZR is almost 20 runs better than any other player in any other position. Does this make him one of the most undervalued players in the league? Possibly. Either way you look at it the numbers don’t lie, and he is saving more runs than anyone else in the outfield. It is easy to see his defensive strengths, but his .364OBP was also ranked 26th in the league, proving he knows how to play behind the plate as well. Of course, we know he can run, he stole 49 bases in 2011.With stats like this it is easy to see what Gardner can bring to any team, so he would be an asset to have on the roster. Brian Cashman has said that anyone on the team that does not have a “no trade” clause is fair game for a trade, but out of all of the possibilities Gardner’s spot on the team is the one I contemplate the most.

If all of the above sounds so good, how can there be a down-side to extending his contract? Well, Gardner is still under team control for three more years, so the Yankees don’t really need to make any moves with his contract right now. Also, assuming that Gardner does go through arbitration he probably won’t command a ton of money, so he would still be relatively affordable when compared to other outfielders. Critics may also argue that most of his game is dependent on speed and defense…and that might not be smart for a long term deal.
Gardner’s assets also make him very desirable to other teams so an extension could hurt his trade possibility unless the terms are very team friendly. As it stands now, Gardner is a number 9 hitter, and it doesn’t look like he will be replacing Jeter as a lead-off hitter anytime soon. We tried this experiment already, and it didn’t really work out and there are several teams out there who could use a good lead-off man. Who wouldn’t consider trading Gardner for a top of the rotation pitcher right now? Teams out there know we are looking…and if there is a match for both teams why not consider the possibility? Depending on the pitcher and who else we would have to part with I would entertain this idea.

There are so many possibilities with this team right now, and there is no question as to the value that Gardner has. The only question that remains is if he is more of an asset right now or for a long term deal? The Yankees have a lot of moves to consider, and that is the beauty of the off season. Stay tuned….it’s starting to heat up!

--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor



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