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Friday, February 19, 2021
Sources tell SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino that the Yankees and Gardner have reached a deal on a one-year contract worth $4 million with club and team options for 2022.
Martino notes that setting up the contract as a one-year deal with an option actually lowers the luxury tax number for the Yankees, which made it preferable to a straight one-year deal.
A 13-year veteran, Gardner reached free agency last offseason before ultimately signing back with the Yankees on a one-year deal worth $12.5 million.
And even if Clint Frazier is the Bombers’ everyday left fielder as Aaron Boone recently stated, having Gardner would give the Yankees a great insurance policy and fourth outfielder, along with a needed left-handed bat. Having both Gardner and Mike Tauchman could give the Yankees a lot of flexibility with their outfield depth.
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1. The Yankee Clapper Posted: February 19, 2021 at 07:44 PM (#6005923)Again.
So I think it becomes a 3 way competition between what's left of Andujar's potential, Dietrich's bat (and flexibility) and Thairo Estrada's glove. You could take two of them and leave off Wade as well, though I assume one of he or Estrada make it as the backup SS since Urshela is probably the next best option after them.
Again.
Yes, this is shocking necessary signing. You just can't count on Judge, Stanton, or Hicks being healthy, AT ALL. In 2019, Gardner played 140 games in the OF, those three combined for 163.
His development is one of the most impressive in my lifetime watching baseball. I recall the conversations among Yankee fans on this site when he was a prospect, and I doubt even the most optimistic among them pegged a career half this good.
He had a very good 2019, nothing of note before or after, and by dWAR Gardner's still a plus defender.
he's a DH, really, who had a strong 130 OPS+ in 2018. turns 26 in 10 days, so there's time.
it is a little weird that the Yankees seem neither enamored of him - nor were they willing to trade him when his value seemed highest.
bb-ref lists him with 80 million career earnings. That seems low for a 30-40 WAR player. (Edit: for someone this far into their career/past 6 years service time.)
His value was highest after his rookie year which was before Urshela became the good player he is. The random confluence of Andujar's strong rookie season (2018), Urshela's breakout (2019), and Andujar's injury-lost time (2019 and 2020) has probably made it difficult to trade him for anything of value. If anyone had known Urshela—twice traded for money—would be this good, trading Andujar after his rookie year makes sense, but I don't think anyone saw this Urshela emerging.
Right, and Urshela is at least as good a hitter, and a much better defender, so Andujar's not replacing him. At the same time Luke Voit emerged as a masher at 1B blocking that option, and Stanton locks down DH.
I guess I'm not up on new contractual lingo. What distinguishes a "club" option from a "team" option? Should one of those have said "player"?
All of that success has gone to his head.
It stalled at the neck.
He's greater than the sum of his parts, and I hope he's fondly remembered in future old-timer's days.
Bernie was retired for 2 seasons by the time Gardner showed up. Damon had pushed Bernie out of Center in 2006 and in 2007, Melky Cabrera started to do the same to Damon. Gardner was basically the backup CF in 2008 and 2009...then the 2 defensive CF idea took hold with Granderson in Center and Gardner in Left (plus Swisher who had been forced in the CF role for the White Sox the season before). That lasted 2010-2011. 2012 was lost to injury and he finally got the chance to start in CF (because of Granderson's injuries/defensive decline) om 2013...just in time for the Jacoby Ellsbury era to start....and give way to Aaron Hicks in 2018.
Gardner has had the misfortune to play with guys who are pretty close to him defensively/a little more famous and worth not pissing off by moving them...balanced out by the fact that most of them have had trouble staying in the field...since his debut he's gotten less time in Center than he deserves, but a lot more than the Yankees have planned.
Only in the sense that the poor overpay for everything. Gardner 15.5 bWAR, Ellsbury 9.7 bWAR over the latter's NY years for half the price.
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