The Yankees are trying to be creative this offseason in getting younger, by opening up their entire roster for trade talks. They may be working on a trade with the Mariners, in which they would siphon another quality arm from them.
The Yankees fleeced Seattle in 2012 by trading catching prospect Jesus Montero for starter Michael Pineda. The right-hander didn’t debut for the Yankees until 2014, but he has been a high-end arm when healthy.
Yankees Willing To Break Up Monster Bullpen
The Yankees are considering a deal for another young arm from Seattle; this time it is 27-year-old left-hander James Paxton, according to The New York Post. The newspaper reports the Yanks are contemplating sending veteran outfielder Brett Gardner as the principal piece in the deal.
The Mariners could be hesitant about acquiring a Yankees’ veteran. In 2014 the Mariners signed 2B Robinson Cano away from the Yankees, but he’s underperformed on the $250 million deal he signed.
Masahiro Tanaka Has Two Terrible Options Regarding His Elbow
In his first season with the M’s, Cano hit .314, but his home run total dropped from 27 to 14. Last year, Cano needed a monster second half to salvage his numbers, but missed the All-Star Game for the first time in five years. Cano was 31 when he agreed to his 10-year contract, and if the teams pull the trigger on a Gardner-Paxton swap, they will be acquiring Gardner for his age-32 season. He has three years left on a four-year, $52 million deal.
Gardner slumped badly at the end of the 2015 season, finishing with a slash line of .259/.343/.359 with 16 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Gardner also cost the Yankees seven runs in the field, per Fangraphs, marking his second consecutive season in decline on defense.
Paxton’s season was cut short by injury after 67 innings, in which he went 3-4 with 3-4 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.43 WHIP.
For more content, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN or LIKE US on Facebook
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
