Yankees Bret Gardner just won a gold glove for the first time. Having watched him day in and day out, I can honestly say, he deserved one. A very good left fielder. An even better center fielder. Why the Yankees spent all that money on Jacoby Ellsbury has always bothered me. Gardner has always been a better center field.
Don’t get me wrong here, Ellsbury is a very good fielder, albeit with an arm like a 14 year-old kid playing Pony Ball. They could of spent the Ellsbury money on a starter back then. Come to think of it, the signings that year that included Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran, were not worth the price. Those guys, were horses in their day, that are “soon to be glue”.
So what do the Yankees do now? I say trade Gardner and one of those new prospects for a starting pitcher. How about a lefty? Can never have enough lefty pitchers in Yankee Stadium. How about going after the White Sox Chris Sale? Add either free agents Aroldis Chapman or Kenley Jansen and they will have a playoff contending team, as they develop their prospects, starting this year.
Simple you say? Well, in baseball the more complicated you make it, the harder it is to get things done. Of course, the price for a No. 1 in the rotation pitcher will be steeper than Gardner and a top prospect. The realistic scenario for the White Sox to deal Sale, would come when contending teams are looking to get him, midseason or later, when they are headed to the playoffs.
The Yankees, just need to add one of these top of the line, free agent closers this year. Than see what their top prospects have, with a full year under their belt. And then in 2018, go a Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw or any number of the big time free agents that year. That will be money well spent. After next season is when they can complete the picture.
Will the Yankee fans be happy, having to wait one more year? Sure they will, they will be so distracted, by all that fan friendly remodeling, at the ball park for next season. That will keep them happy for a year… Yea, right. Believe that and you will believe that Donald Trump, will one day be President. And the Cubs will win a World Series, all within one week.