The New York Yankees have officially said goodbye to Robinson Cano after the free agent second-baseman signed a marquee 10-year contract with the Seattle Mariners. Now the team is left to explore what options are left in order to build another championship team. After signing Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, could a trade be what comes next?
The Yankees signed two big-named outfielders last week that officially make their roster crowded. Ellsbury was giving a seven-year, $153 million deal on Tuesday and Carlos Beltran signed a three-year, $45 million deal on Friday. The week was busy, but there is more to come. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports the Yankees are considering trading Brett Gardner in order to get more pitching depth.
As of now, the Yankees outfield consists of Ellsbury, Beltran, Ichiro Suzuki, Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano. Gardner is the most expendable of the bunch. He was the team's full-time starting center fielder for most of 2013, but now it is likely that he will be on the outside looking in when it comes to the 2013-14 season. Ellsbury's contract means he takes over at center and Beltran gets a corner. Soriano will likely get the other.
Gardner's best chance at staying is by becoming a DH. The Yankees do not have a full-time DH so with some shuffling he could stay, but the 30-year-old could gain attention on the trade market, giving the Yankees pitching depth they need. In 145 games last season, Gardner hit a .273 average, including a league-leading 10 triples. He also stole 24, coming off a his 2011 campaign where he stole 49 bags.
If Gardner is available, he will go quickly. He has one more year left on his current contract, making him easy to dump off, but it remains to be seen what the Yankees could get in return. He might not be worth anything more than a back-end rotational guy or someone in the bullpen.
The Yankees have received calls about the outfielder and they are still looking for their last Opening Day starter. They could also use Gardner in a package for second baseman Brandon Phillips. There are also reports that Suzuki could be on the way out as well. The Yankees must determine who will be the odd man out after the two signings.