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GardnerComingIn

Gardner agrees to a contract extension. 

Categories:  1: Featured  Spring Training  Yankees

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10 comments

1 rbj   ~  Feb 24, 2014 10:04 am

What, they've got green colored snow now?

2 Chyll Will   ~  Feb 24, 2014 10:07 am

[1] That's probably not edible either.

3 Shaun P.   ~  Feb 24, 2014 10:13 am

[1] Is that mud-colored mini drone about a foot to the right of the ball? Boy, MLB is really going all out to make sure they get the data to make defensive metrics perfect, aren't they?

[0] Being serious - huzzah! Gardner may well be the Roy White of his time, underappreciated by many, loved by those in the know. And, of course, with Cano gone, and Jeter leaving, he is the "next" homegrown Yankee.

4 monkeypants   ~  Feb 24, 2014 11:29 am

[3] I loves me some Gritty Gardy, but he's nowhere in the same league as Roy White!

I will admit, this move caught me totally off guard. However, the Yankees refused to give in on a no trade clause, so they could still shop Gardner (in fact, he *may* be easier to trade now, since he is locked up for for years at a decent price and a free agent after next season).

5 RIYank   ~  Feb 24, 2014 12:53 pm

I think he is definitely easier to trade.
I figure Brett and his agent don't think so, though. Although, he gets an extra million if traded, as I understand it.

6 Chyll Will   ~  Feb 24, 2014 1:17 pm

If they really want to trade him, the contract itself is a commodity that could possibly bring back a major-ready prospect or a decent 2 or 3 starter in June provided he's hitting at least .300 and getting a sizable amount of runs. But I would think trading him is a contingency rather than a necessity at this point. First he has to show he can hold up over the course of a regular season unless they think this is the best he'll ever do.

7 Greg G   ~  Feb 24, 2014 1:31 pm

This is surprising. So many times you would wonder why the Yanks wouldn't lock up a player before free agency. They tried with a few Russel Martin and Cano, but Gardner?

I guess if you spurn the Yanks early like Martin and Cano, you don't get to come back?

Gardner plays hard, and in a lot of ways reminds me of Jeter. He goes all out and seems to enjoy himself. Unlike Jeter he is a lot more serious, but he has a lot of pep in his step. You get the sense that he is a hardworker, who will not embarras the organization.

Good for you Gardner! I hope you stick around.

8 monkeypants   ~  Feb 24, 2014 2:45 pm

[7] The organization had a general policy of not extending players before free agency, making only occasional exceptions to this rule. Apparently the organization has now abandoned the policy.

9 Branco   ~  Feb 24, 2014 3:33 pm

I don't know what to think about this signing. I love me some Girtner, but I'm really surprised that they let Cano walk only to spend pretty much the contract he accepted on two speed/no power guys. Neither Gardner or Ellsbury are the type of player who can consistently change the outcome of the game with one swing.

10 monkeypants   ~  Feb 24, 2014 3:48 pm

[9] When I am not cynical and think the Yankee organization has no plan whatsoever, I look at the move this way: it really does seem as though the Yankees were adamant about not going to ten years. Also, at least in the short run, they exchanged Cano ($24/year) for Ellsbury ($22/year).

The Gardner deal has to be considered as more or less independent from the Cano decision. He was going to make $5.6 before the extension, and he's still going to make $5.6 this year. The extension simply means the Yankees have exchanged signing a FA OF for 2015 for a few years of Gardner. And by 2015, assuming the keep him and not trade him, Gardner is basically paid for out of Jeter money.

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