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Brett Gardner Expects To Play In 2020

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As a soon-to-be 36-year-old and a pending free agent, Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner’s future looks uncertain beyond this season. However, unlike 39-year-old teammate CC Sabathia, Gardner isn’t planning to retire at year’s end, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post relays. Gardner unsurprisingly wants to continue his career with the Yankees, the lone franchise he has ever known since entering the pro ranks as a third-round pick in 2005.

“At this point in the season, I expect to be playing next year. Hopefully it’s here,” Gardner told Davidoff on Wednesday .”I feel like I’m definitely still capable.”

Gardner, who debuted in 2008 and is now the longest-tenured Yankee, is indeed “still capable.” On a team with no shortage of big-name stars, Gardner’s one of many less heralded players who have helped the Yankees survive an onslaught of key injuries this year. Across 380 plate appearances, Gardner has slashed a sturdy .265/.334/.484 en route to a 112 wRC+, which ties for the second-highest mark of his career. Never known as a major power threat, Gardner has chipped in 17 home runs and what’s easily a personal-best ISO of .228. Combining Gardner’s output at the plate with his typically strong defense and base running has given him at least 2.4 fWAR for the seventh straight season and the ninth in his career.

Considering Gardner continues to function at a high level, he should overcome his age to land a decent – albeit short-term – payday prior to 2020. Gardner’s currently playing on the $7.5MM salary the Yankees handed him last offseason after declining a $12.5MM option over him. The plan then was for Gardner to serve as depth behind starting outfielders Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks, but all three of those players have missed a substantial amount of time with injuries (Stanton has barely been a factor).

No doubt, Gardner’s presence has been highly beneficial this year, and he’s one of the reasons New York boasts the American League’s leading record (75-39). However, even though Gardner’s a still-productive player and a revered Yankee, it’s up in the air whether they’ll bring him back next year. Judge, Stanton and Hicks are all in line to return in the outfield, while potential breakout player Mike Tauchman has made a case that he should get a roster spot in 2020. As a pre-arbitration player, Tauchman should earn a far cheaper salary than Gardner next season. Plus, the Yankees won’t be able to send the soon-to-be out-of-options Tauchman to the minors then, which could also influence their decision if they make a choice between him and Gardner.

Not to be forgotten, the Yankees have corner outfielder Clint Frazier hanging around in Triple-A ball. While Frazier (25 next month) at least looks like a major league-caliber hitter, he hasn’t stuck in the bigs this year despite quality offensive numbers. But the Yankees are known to be bullish on Frazier – whom they’ve been unwilling to trade to this point – and might finally choose to dedicate a spot to him next season. It remains to be seen whether that would help push out Gardner, the more well-rounded player.

Yankees Place Brett Gardner On 10-Day Injured List

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The Yankees have placed outfielder Brett Gardner on the 10-day IL due to left knee inflammation, as per a team press release.  Gardner’s placement is retroactive to July 22.  Left-hander Stephen Tarpley will take Gardner’s spot on New York’s 25-man roster.

One of the only Yankees who hadn’t yet missed time due to injury this season, today’s placement marks the durable Gardner’s first trip to the injured list since 2012.  The longtime pinstripes fixture has bounced back from a down year in 2018 to become one of New York’s more underrated performers, hitting .243/.325/.460 over 354 plate appearances.  That slugging percentage represents by far a new personal best for Gardner over his 12 MLB seasons, and with 15 homers already, he seems like a safe bet to eclipse his career high of 21 home runs in a season.

Mike Tauchman looks to get the bulk of left field duty while Gardner is out, and Cameron Maybin is also nearing his own activation from the injured list.  Prospect Clint Frazier also looms at Triple-A, though Frazier has also often been mentioned in trade rumors and could be on the move prior to the deadline.

The Constant Gardner

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Raise your hand if you thought Brett Gardner would lead Yankees outfielders in fWAR at the All-Star break. Weeks-long, injury-forced absences to starting outfielders Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks helped Gardner ascend to the top of the heap in the season’s first three-plus months, but the long-productive 35-year-old has been legitimately good yet again. With 2.1 fWAR through 323 plate appearances, Gardner is tied for 46th among all qualified position players, having notched the same total as Juan Soto, Anthony Rizzo, Josh Donaldson and others. He’s also continuing to make a case as one of the most valuable Yankees ever in the eyes of that metric, which places him 24th among the storied franchise’s all-time position players.

Even though Gardner is enjoying his latest quality season, there is a chance it’ll be the last in pinstripes for the soon-to-be free agent and career-long Yankee. The club brought Gardner back last offseason for $7.5MM after declining its $12.5MM option over him. At that point, Gardner didn’t look as if he’d be in line for his typical amount of playing time. The team had Judge, Stanton and Hicks, after all, and while they (especially Stanton) have each sat out significant time this year, all three will reprise starting roles next season. The club could also have Edwin Encarnacion, Miguel Andujar (yet another 2019 injury case), Clint Frazier (if he’s still with the organization by then) and an out-of-options Mike Tauchman further clouding the outfield and/or DH mix.

Of course, if you’re Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, there are more important matters at hand than worrying about 2020. He can map out Gardner’s future then. As of now, Cashman’s choice to retain Gardner last winter has proven to be a shrewd decision for a team that has jumped out to the American League’s leading record (57-31).

A roughly league-average offensive player since his career started in 2008, Gardner has posted a 109 wRC+ so far this year. If the season ended now, it would go down as the fourth-best figure of his career. Gardner’s more conventional output – his triple-slash line – checks in at .246/.328/.470. While Gardner has usually derived a sizable portion of his offensive value from his ability to get on base, having done so at a .343 lifetime clip, he’s one of countless major leaguers whose uptick in power has ruled the day in 2019.

Gardner has already piled up 15 home runs, six fewer than the high-water mark of 21 he hit in 2017, with a .225 ISO that comes in 90 points above his career mean. Unlike many other hitters, though, Gardner hasn’t needed to sell out for power by upping his strikeouts. In fact, Gardner has gone down on strikes a meager 15.5 percent of the time – his lowest since 2009 – and is tied with Mike Trout for the game’s eighth-ranked swing-and-miss rate (5.3 percent). Plus, having walked in better than 10 percent of trips to the plate, Gardner’s 0.66 BB/K ratio almost doubles the league average (0.37).

Gardner’s sturdy output this year has come in spite of a .248 batting average on balls in play, down 59 points compared to his .307 lifetime BABIP. Still one of the majors’ fastest runners, Gardner looks like a good bet on paper to see his BABIP skyrocket. That’s not a lock, though, if Gardner’s new approach holds up. He’s hitting more fly balls and fewer ground balls/line drives than usual. That’s not conducive to a high BABIP, and it’s worth noting that hitting the ball out of the park doesn’t count toward the stat.

The question is whether Gardner’s newfound power is here to stay. The fact that he’s pulling the ball at a career-high rate and going opposite field at a personal-low percentage bodes well in that regard. Furthermore, FanGraphs indicates Gardner’s hard-hit rate is his highest since 2012. It also may help that the left-handed Gardner plays his home games at Yankee Stadium, but the venue surprisingly has been a difficult one for lefties to amass HRs at this season, according to Baseball Prospectus. For his part, Gardner has been better on the road (114 wRC+) than at home (102) this year, though he has totaled eight of his homers in the Bronx. Historically, Gardner has offered league-average or better numbers both home and away.

Sticking with Gardner’s history, he has typically been usable, albeit unspectacular, versus same-handed pitchers (88 wRC+). But they’ve stifled Gardner this season, having limited him to a woeful .206/.260/.324 (53 wRC+) in 73 PA. Moreover, Gardner has been far from great in general in the estimation of Statcast, which puts his expected weighted on-base average (.314) significantly below his real wOBA (.339). It also indicates his expected slugging percentage, hard-hit rate, exit velocity and expected batting average are all worse than mediocre.

Elsewhere, however, Gardner remains a defensive and base running stalwart in spite of his advanced age. In almost 700 innings divided between left and center, he has accounted for 4 Defensive Runs Saved and a 3.8 Ultimate Zone Rating. And while Gardner’s no longer the 40-steal threat he once was, the speedster has swiped eight of 10 bags this year and rated as one of FanGraphs’ top base runners.

The overall package has almost always been effective for Gardner, who has quietly been one of the Yankees’ greatest draft picks in recent memory after going in the third round in 2005. Fourteen years later, Gardner remains a legitimate major league regular and someone who could help the franchise to the second World Series title of his career this fall. Whether Gardner will stay with the lone organization he has ever known once its season ends will be one of the Yankees’ main questions when the offseason rolls around.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Yankees Announce New One-Year Agreement With Brett Gardner

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The Yankees announced Wednesday that they’ve agreed to terms on a new one-year contract with outfielder Brett Gardner after declining the $12.5MM club option on his previous contract. In other words, the veteran Gardner, a client of Pro Star Management, will return to the Yankees organization on a more affordable one-year pact. Specifically, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports (on Twitter) that he’ll earn $7.5MM in 2019 under the new arrangement.

Brett Gardner | Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Gardner’s club option came with a $2MM buyout as part of the $52MM guarantee on that four-year pact, so by picking up the option, the Yankees would’ve promised him an additional $10.5MM. In essence, then, the new contract will save the Yankees $3MM over simply exercising the option as previously constructed.

Gardner turned 35 in August and is coming off his worst offensive season as a big league regular, having batted .236/.322/.368 through 609 plate appearances. But he remained a disciplined hitter, walking in 10.7 percent of his trips to the plate and striking out just a 17.6 percent clip even as his power faded a bit. Gardner’s 12 home runs were his second-fewest of the past half-decade, while his 16 steals were tied for his lowest mark in that same span.

Even though he swiped fewer bags, however, Fangraphs credited him as one of the game’s elite baserunners based on his efficiency (caught just twice) and his ability to take extra bases on balls in play (first to third, second to home, etc.). Both Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference credit Gardner at roughly 2.5 wins above replacement despite a relatively shaky performance at the plate.

Gardner again figures to pair with Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the Yankees’ outfield rotation. If Jacoby Ellsbury is able to make it back to the field after missing the entire 2018 season, then he’d also be in the mix for playing time. Prospect Clint Frazier, whose season was shortened by concussion issues, remains in the upper levels of the organization as a depth option and a potential starter down the line. Gardner and Hicks can both become free agents next season.

There’s been plenty of talk about the possibility of Bryce Harper landing with the Yankees for the past few years, and while the return of Gardner to the Bronx crowds the outfield mix, it also surely wouldn’t stand in the way of the Yankees pursuing a deal if they felt the price was right. As last winter’s addition of Stanton to an already solid outfield illustrated, many teams will pursue top-end talent even if there isn’t a glaring need. (Milwaukee’s additions of Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich stand out as another of the many examples.) That’s not to say that Harper is Bronx-bound, of course, but rather to underscore that the Yankees’ reunion with Gardner almost certainly doesn’t preclude them from pursuing Harper or any other marquee addition.

AL East Notes: Machado, Gardner, Nunez, Red Sox

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The Yankees baseball operations and scouting departments are “lukewarm” on free agent Manny Machado, per Andy Martino of SNY.tv. Brian Cashman has not been shy about his pursuit of Machado in the past, but the third-baseman-turned-shortstop’s antics during this postseason may have slowed what otherwise could have been a more aggressive pursuit of the infielder in free agency. This isn’t to say the Yankees won’t end up signing Machado, but the questioning of Machado’s hustle and baseball ethic certainly allow the Yankees, as well as other teams, to take a more understandably patient approach in regards to his free agency. Martino adds (via Twitter) that the biggest variable still in play is the Steinbrenner family and whether or not Boston’s World Series win will prompt an aggressive mandate in regards to either Machado or fellow free agent stud Bryce Harper.

But that’s not all that’s happening in the AL East…

  • The Yankees have a $12.5MM option on Brett Gardner with a $2MM buyout for next season. Gardner, the longest-tenured Yankee, expressed an interest in coming back, but it remains to be seen if there will be a room in a crowded Yankee outfield that includes holdovers Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks. MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes that Brian Cashman and his lieutenants have held three days of scouting meetings to craft their strategy heading into the offseason, with  starting pitching figuring to be the priority. Regarding Gardner, the team could buyout his contract and look to bring him back at a discounted rate, but whether the 35-year-old outfielder would be amenable to such an arrangement is unclear. In 2018, Gardner appeared in 140 games, slashing .236/.322/.368 (2.8 rWAR).
  • Not that this would be a surprise, but Boston’s Eduardo Nunez is likely to pick up his $5MM option for next season, per Fancred’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Despite his occasional postseason heroics, it was a tough season for Nunez, who slashed only .256/.289/.388 during the regular season. The .321/.353/.539 Nunez hit in 38 games in 2017 after being acquired midseason feels like a distant memory, but he can still provide some value off the bench as a versatile infielder and right-handed compliment to young stud Rafael Devers.
  • As you ready yourself to dive into baseball’s transaction season, take a minute to read this piece from the Athletic’s Tim Britton about the Red Sox staffer charged with ushering the young players of Boston’s minor league system through each step of their development. Raquel Ferreira is one of the highest ranking women in Major League Baseball and one of the unsung heroes of Boston’s stellar development team. Her title is vice president of major-league and minor-league operations, but that hardly describes the impact she’s had in the twenty years since she joined the Red Sox as an administrative assistant. Ferreira handles everything from managing the logistics of player family travel to walking new players through the basics of minor-league orientation, as she did with Xander Bogaerts when he first signed out of Aruba and thought he had to spend an entire year at each minor-league level. 

Playoff Notes: Wright, Barnes, Hicks

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Steven Wright won’t pitch again in the ALDS, per Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston via Twitter. Wright, arbitration eligible for the second time this winter, returned in 2018 to post a 2.68 ERA (4.37 FIP) in sixteen relief appearances and four starts after losing most of 2017 to invasive surgery that repaired cartilage in his knee. The knuckleballer had an MRI after feeling discomfort in the surgically repaired knee before the game, making him a last minute scratch from Alex Cora’s bullpen in Friday’s ALDS game one, and he will see a knee specialist when the team arrives in New York. In an earlier piece, Drellich noted that Wright’s replacement on the ALDS roster would likely come from a pool of Bobby Poyner, Heath Hembree, Hector Velazquez or Brian Johnson. For last night at least, even Rick Porcello was surprised to hear his name called, per this fun peak behind the curtain from Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Boston manager Alex Cora recognized the need for improvisation during the playoffs – as using Porcello in relief was plan “C and a half.” The injury likely affects Boston’s playoff rotation, as mid-season acquisition Nathan Eovaldi could slide up a day to take Porcello’s scheduled start in game three if the latter isn’t ready to go on two days rest.

More from the Red Sox, Yankees ALDS…

  • Drellich also writes that now might be the time for Matt Barnes to step up as the potential stopper the Red Sox need. With Craig Kimbrel an impending free agent, Barnes’ moment could extend through next season. Boston’s offseason decisions do not probably hinge on playoff performance – he’s been in the organization since 2011 and they likely have a sense for his abilities – but it’s an interesting narrative to track. The 28-year-old reliever would certainly be a cheaper option over Kimbrel –  he’s arb eligible for the first time this offseason – and his stuff compares – Barnes’ 14.01 K/9, 4.52 BB/9, 53 GB% to Kimbrel’s 13.85 K/9, 4.48 BB/9, 28.2 GB % in 2018. Collecting saves in 2019 would certainly net Barnes a larger pay bump his second time through arbitration. For next season, however, he provides Boston with a lower-cost option to close out games.
  • Across the diamond, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reports Aaron Hicks aggravated his bothersome right hamstring Friday. Hicks was forced to leave the game after singling off Chris Sale in the fourth and was scheduled for an MRI. Hicks has struggled with a series of nagging injuries during his Yankees tenure, to his oblique, intercostal muscle and now his hamstring – which he injured on September 24th before being cleared of a tear two days later. Brett Gardner is likely to get the start in game two if Hicks can’t go. More concernedly for Hicks, hamstring injuries are notoriously tricky as they often lead to overcompensation and further injury down the line if tested too early. One hopes Hicks can get healthy and stay healthy, lest he earn the ever-ominous label of “injury prone” leading up to his 2019 free agency. Hicks will be arbitration eligible for the final time this offseason and due a raise after hitting .247/.368/.465 with a 127 wRC+.

 

Latest On Futures Of Andrew McCutchen, Brett Gardner

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In Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks, the Yankees already have a high-end starting outfield under control for 2019. But they’ll have more decisions to make in that area this offseason, specifically with veterans Andrew McCutchen and Brett Gardner. The club would “like to” retain McCutchen, a pending free agent, if his asking price is “reasonable,” Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. Meanwhile, the Yankees are “likely” to decline Gardner’s $12.5MM club option in favor of a $2MM buyout, according to Cafardo.

Having been acquired from the Giants on Aug. 31, McCutchen is just over three weeks into his tenure in the Bronx. The sample size is clearly limited, then, though the well-respected 31-year-old has delivered during his short Yankees career. Across 80 plate appearances with the Bombers, McCutchen has slashed .253/.425/.492 with four home runs and more walks (17) than strikeouts (15). Between San Francisco and New York, the right-handed McCutchen has batted .253/.366/.423 with 19 HRs in 648 trips to the plate, giving him a quality wRC+ of 119. The longtime Pirate has been an above-average offensive contributor every year of his career, which began in 2009, by wRC+.

Defensively, while McCutchen took significant steps backward as a center fielder from 2016-17, he has drawn somewhat better reviews in the corner this year. McCutchen has seen most of his action as a right fielder in 2018 and accounted for two Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-0.1 Ultimate Zone Rating in 1,271 2/3 innings, though Statcast’s Outs Above Average (minus-10) ranks him among the game’s worst fielders in the grass. Still, thanks in large part to his offensive prowess, McCutchen has totaled 2.5 fWAR and 2.7 rWAR, no doubt making him a useful player even if he’s not the MVP-level performer he was in his halcyon days.

Gardner, meanwhile, has been similarly valuable by wins above replacement, as he has accrued 2.3 fWAR and 2.8 rWAR in 583 PAs. However, the 35-year-old’s amid a difficult second half in which he has posted a meager .209/.290/.304 line (63 wRC+), and it has been a tough season in general versus southpaws for the left-handed Gardner – who has only managed a .641 OPS against them. All told, Gardner has batted a below-average .237/.325/.368 (90 wRC+) with 12 homers this season, though the speedster has still succeeded on 15 of 17 stolen base attempts and held his own in the outfield, where he has picked up 13 DRS, a 6.5 UZR and minus-one OAA. Despite his plus defense, Gardner’s offensive woes have relegated him to a bench role of late, as he has been in New York’s starting lineup just once this week.

Because of his track record as a well-rounded player and an esteemed clubhouse presence, the Yankees may be able to move Gardner via trade in the offseason if they’re against retaining him for another year. He does have 10-and-5 rights, however, and would be able to veto any potential move. If New York does cut ties with Gardner, though, it would mean saying goodbye to its longest-tenured player. A third-round pick of the Yankees in 2005, Gardner debuted in pinstripes in 2008 and has since accumulated 32.6 fWAR and 37.6 rWAR in 5,419 PAs, making him one of the most accomplished outfielders in the franchise’s storied history.

With the offseason over a month from beginning in earnest, the Yankees’ Brian Cashman-led brain trust still has a fair amount of time to decide on the futures of McCutchen and Gardner. And with the Yankees set to earn a wild-card berth this year, both McCutchen or Gardner could have more time to influence New York’s winter plans, depending on how they perform and how far the team advances in the playoffs. But with Judge, Stanton, Hicks and 2018 injury cases Clint Frazier and Jacoby Ellsbury among the Yankees’ outfield group for next season, it’ll be a surprise if they keep both McCutchen and Gardner.

Yankees Notes: Judge, Gardner, Bird, Voit

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The Yankees have gone without their best player, injured right fielder Aaron Judge, since July 26, but it appears he’s getting closer to a return as the playoffs draw nearer. Judge participated in on-field drills Friday for the first time since he suffered a chip fracture in his right wrist, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com relays, leading to excitement from manager Aaron Boone. “This is what we’ve been waiting for this whole time, for that pain to get out of there, for him to be able to really swing,” said Boone, who added, “Now it’s just a matter of getting back up to baseball speed, building that stamina and then obviously graduating to live pitching, to seeing an actual pitcher.” Judge would like to return to the majors within two weeks, Hoch notes, and doing so would give him time to shake off some rust prior to the Yankees’ wild-card round matchup in early October.

More on the Bronx Bombers…

  • Outfielder Brett Gardner is the current longest-tenured Yankee, having debuted with the team back in 2008, but his future is in question beyond this season, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post points out. The Yankees will head into 2019 with a host of corner outfield possibilities, regardless of whether Gardner’s still with them, and a decision to make on his $12.5MM club option (or $2MM buyout). While the Yankees could exercise the option and trade Gardner, who remains valuable at age 35, he’ll have a major say in whether a deal will happen. Gardner informed Davidoff that he has already earned 10-and-5 rights, giving him the ability to put the kibosh on any trade. As you’d expect, though, Gardner’s more focused on the present than how the offseason could unfold. “I haven’t put too much thought into next year yet,” Gardner said. “And to be honest, I really don’t plan to until after the season. That’s kind of how I always try to compartmentalize things like that.”
  • Unlike Judge and Gardner, first baseman Greg Bird hasn’t contributed much to New York’s success this year. Between that and fellow first baseman Luke Voit’s tremendous production since the Yankees acquired him from the Cardinals in July, Bird may not even make the Bombers’ playoff roster, George A. King III of the New York Post observes. Many expected the oft-injured Bird to break out in 2018, but his season got off on the wrong foot – literally – when he underwent right ankle surgery in late March. The 26-year-old didn’t debut until the end of May as a result, and he has batted a disastrous .179/.284/.386 in 296 plate appearances since then.
  • Voit, meanwhile, is relishing his time as a Yankee, as Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. The fiery 27-year-old has slashed .308/.372/.615 with eight home runs in just 86 plate trips with the Yankees, after spending the first few months of the season with the Cardinals’ Triple-A team. But Voit doesn’t harbor any ill feelings toward the Cardinals, as he noted that two “great” first base options – Matt Carpenter and Jose Martinez – blocked him in St. Louis. Continued Voit: “The Yankees have let me play. This is the first time in my career that I’ve gotten to play two straight weeks in a row.” Frederickson’s piece contains more quotes from Voit, for whom the playoff-contending Cardinals acquired relievers Chasen Shreve and Giovanny Gallegos. Shreve’s the only one of the two who has pitched for the Cards so far, and he has posted solid results.

AL East Notes: Yanks, Torres, Gardner, Rays, Ramos, O’s

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If the Yankees are going to acquire a front-line starting pitcher this summer, it’s not going to come at the expense of rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres. General manager Brian Cashman suggested to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com and other reporters Friday that the 21-year-old Torres is untouchable. Asked if he’d consider dealing Torres, Cashman quipped, “C’mon now. I have to walk around this city.” Cashman estimates that he has talked trades with around 20 teams since June 6, though it’s no surprise that he’s uninterested in sending Torres anywhere. Torres has made good on the considerable hype he had as a minor league prospect by opening his MLB career with a .290/.345/.568 line and 13 home runs in 178 plate appearances. As a result, Torres may be the American League Rookie of the Year front-runner.

  • Torres is part of the new guard with the Yankees, whose longest-tenured player, outfielder Brett Gardner, remains a quality major leaguer at the age of 34. Gardner, who debuted with the Yankees in 2008 and is controllable through 2019 on a $12.5MM club option (or a $2MM buyout), discussed his future with Kuty earlier this week. While Gardner revealed that he’s aiming to play “two or three more years,” preferably with the Yankees, he admitted he’d consider finishing his career elsewhere if they “don’t want me here anymore and I still wanted to play a couple more years.” Whether Gardner will remain a Yankee in 2019 is far from certain – they may still boast outfielders Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier without him next year, after all – but he has made a strong case to stick with the franchise. Through 269 PAs this season, Gardner has batted .258/.350/.384 with five homers and seven steals. His above-average offensive output and outstanding work in the field (14 Defensive Runs Saved, 5.9 Utimate Zone Rating) have already led to 2.0 fWAR thus far.
  • Like Gardner, Rays catcher Wilson Ramos could find himself in another uniform next season. However, the free agent-to-be informed Bill Ladson of MLB.com that he’d be content to continue in Tampa Bay, in part because it gave him a chance after he tore his left ACL and meniscus while with the Nationals in late 2016. “I’m very happy with this organization because they gave me the opportunity to have my career, especially after the knee surgery,” Ramos said. “A lot of teams were behind me before the knee surgery. After the surgery, everybody turned around and didn’t pay attention to me. But [the Rays] helped me to get better, helped me with my rehab. So I’m very excited with all the little things they have done for me. If I stay here, I’ll be happy.” The Rays guaranteed Ramos $12.5MM over two years on the heels of his injury, and while his production went backward in 2017, he has rebounded this season. The 30-year-old has slashed .282/.326/.437 with eight HRs in 227 PAs, also earning plus marks as a pitch framer. Ramos’ bounce-back efforts not only bode well for another potential trip to the open market, but they could make him an attractive trade chip in the next couple months.
  • A report Friday indicated the Orioles have interviewed former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti for a front office position, but O’s executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette shot that down Saturday. “My understanding is it’s not true,” Duquette told Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. “That’s all I can tell you.” If hired, Colletti would perhaps help replace Duquette, who’s in the last year of his contract and has reportedly lost power in the team’s front office. However, Duquette informed Connolly that he’d like to continue with the Orioles, who hired him back in 2011.

Heyman’s Latest: Nationals, Alvarez, Cubs, CarGo, Yankees, Colome

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The latest notes column from Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports kicks off with an extremely early look at the potential market for Bryce Harper in two years, with Heyman listing the Yankees, Nationals and Phillies as teams that many within the industry think will vie for the 2015 NL MVP in free agency. The in-depth look at Harper focuses on the 24-year-old’s improved clubhouse demeanor and maturity in recent years and also adds more fuel to the rumors that Harper played part of the 2016 season through a shoulder injury that he’s reluctant to discuss. Heyman also touches base on Derek Norris later in the column, noting that there may be a better chance that Norris is simply released than traded. Washington agreed to a $4.25MM salary with Norris to avoid arbitration, but because arb contracts aren’t fully guaranteed, they could cut Norris before March 15 and only pay him 30 days termination pay — about $688K, by my math.

Some highlights from a lengthy look at all 30 teams around the league…

  • Pedro Alvarez still has fans in the Orioles’ front office, per Heyman, but there’s been “no evidence” of renewed contact between the two sides. The Twins talked to Alvarez’s camp at one point but haven’t been in touch recently, and while Rangers manager Jeff Banister is fond of Alvarez dating back to the pair’s days in Pittsburgh, there’s nothing to suggest the two sides could strike a deal.
  • The Cubs met with Scott Boras recently and discussed Jake Arrieta, but there was “no traction” in talks between the two sides. Heyman paints a similar picture to the one that has surrounded extension rumors with Arrieta for the past several months; the Cubs would be amenable to a three- or four-year deal, but Arrieta and Boras are targeting something more along the lines of Max Scherzer’s seven-year, $210MM contract. Heyman also notes that the Cubs made a play for right-hander Brad Ziegler this winter before he inked a two-year deal with the Marlins.
  • Extension talks between the Rockies and Carlos Gonzalez are “on hold” for the time being. The team tried to explore talks with Gonzalez (another Boras client) recently, but with free agency just a few months away, hammering out a new deal has long seemed unlikely (and, I’d argue, unnecessary from the Rockies’ vantage point, given the plethora of outfield options in Denver).
  • After spending a combined $99MM on Matt Holliday and Aroldis Chapman at the Winter Meetings in early December, Yankees GM Brian Cashman was told he only had $4MM to work with over the remainder of the winter, Heyman reports. That level of cash prevented the Yanks from luring targets like Travis Wood and Jerry Blevins to the Bronx but did prove to be enough to buy Chris Carter (and perhaps Jon Niese, who inked a minor league deal). Cashman also tells Heyman that he did receive trade offers for Brett Gardner, but the offers simply weren’t enticing.
  • Rays closer Alex Colome was oft-rumored to have drawn trade interest last summer and earlier this offseason, though Heyman writes that the Nationals wouldn’t part with top outfield prospect Victor Robles in order to acquire him. Colome was outstanding in his first season in the ninth inning last year, logging 56 2/3 innings with a 1.91 ERA, 11.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 47.1 percent ground-ball rate. The 28-year-old hasn’t even reached arbitration yet and is controllable through the 2020 season, so if he does eventually emerge as a potential trade chip, the asking price from the Tampa Bay front office would likely be deemed exorbitant by many clubs.
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