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New York Yankees Rumors: Brett Gardner To Chicago Cubs For Starlin Castro?

By Kenneth Teape

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New York Yankees Rumors: The MLB Stove continues to heat up, and the most recent rumor regarding the Yankees and Brett Gardner is that he he is heading to the Chicago Cubs for help at second base in Starlin Castro.

The New York Yankees have already been in a lot of rumors this offseason, as they are always a big part of the MLB Hot Stove. They completed a trade with the Minnesota Twins for Aaron Hicks, sending catcher John Ryan Murphy to the Twins in return. That was something people believed would open up the Yankees for other trades, and that seems to be the case.

Rumors are now flying around about the Yankees looking to trade outfielder Brett Gardner. The Yankees have a bit of a logjam in the outfield, and Gardner is probably the easiest piece to move. We have seen a number of potential landing spots for him this season, including the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians with controllable pitching being their target. In the most recent rumor, the Yankees may be changing what they are targeting.

According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, the Yankees are now engaged with the Chicago Cubs in trade talks surrounding around Gardner and Starlin Castro.

Castro started his career as a shortstop with the Cubs, but was moved to second base after top prospect Addison Russell was called up last season. Castro has struggled at times with concentration and level of effort, but he came on last season after getting benched, slashing .366/.390/.643 over his last 119 plate appearances. He hit six home runs over that span after hitting only five up to that point in the season.

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Castro struggled in the postseason, slashing only .176/.200/.294 in 35 plate appearances. But, the stretch at the end of the season flashed what he is capable of; Castro was a consecutive All-Star for two seasons when he landed a seven-year, $60 million contract in August of 2012.

Since then, the results have been mixed at best. He has had one really strong season, 2014, that was sandwiched by two really poor ones. The results are a cumulative slash line of .265/.303/.383 in those three seasons. It has caused him to fall out of favor a bit in Chicago, as they have a pipeline like none other for position players, which could be why they are willing to move Castro.

The Cubs need outfield insurance in case Dexter Fowler leaves as a free agent, and Gardner can provide that. Financially, the two would matchup almost perfectly; both are owed $38 million, while Castro’s is over four seasons and Gardner’s is over three. The trade would also lessen the Yankees luxury tax for this season, as Castro is owed only $7 million compared to $13 million for Gardner.

For the Cubs this trade makes sense; they don’t have an immediate need for Castro, but Gardner could fill a potential hole in centerfield and at the top of their lineup. But, does it for the Yankees?

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They have uninspiring options at second base in Rob Refsnyder and Dustin Ackley, so Castro would represent an upgrade there. While Castro is only 25-years old, 26 in March, and could cement the Yankees at second base for the next four seasons, does he really help the team?

They do not have many trade assets outside of Gardner, so they have to be meticulous when making a decision to trade him. With the other rumors that have been swirling about with Gardner, mostly for pitching, this one seems a bit less enticing. Controllable pitching should be at the top of the Yankees list to acquire, as they have a ton of question marks in their starting rotation. At least at second base, the Yankees have options to turn to, as Refsnyder is someone they do like.

While Castro would upgrade the second base position for the Yankees, an argument could be made that is not their most pressing need. While the trade would open up some more money for the Yankees to use in 2016, the need for a pitcher is greater than the one for a second baseman. Without many other resources, they should use their best one in Gardner to land a pitcher that will help them not only this season, but for many seasons to come.

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If the Yankees can overcome Stephen Drew as their primary second baseman and make the Wild Card game, they can make it work with a player with better potential in Refsnyder and someone who has had great success at Yankee Stadium with Ackley. Save your best trade bullet in Gardner for a pitcher; acquiring Castro seems like a move to make only for the sake of making a move.

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