Gardner signs a 4/52 extension

[jon abbey]

Jack Curry ‏@JackCurryYES  6m
Gardner on verge of signing 4-year, $52 million deal w/ Yankees. Includes 5th year club option for $12.5M or $2M buyout. Deal starts in 2015

 

[jon abbey]

I figured he was a goner once they signed Ellsbury. 

 

[Wingack]

Interesting. That seems like a good deal for both teams. And I am glad he is staying with the team.

 

[Toe Nash]

This looks like a coup for NYY when you compare it to Ellsbury's deal.
 
Gardner career: .352 OBP, .381 SLG, +10 UZR/150 in CF. .329 wOBA
Ellsbury: .350 OBP, .439 SLG, +8 UZR/150 in CF. .346 wOBA.
 
If you ignore 2011 Ellsbury has a career .340 OBP and .405 SLG.
 
I don't think the Ellsbury deal is that far above "market value." Gardner could have gotten close to twice this if he had had a good 2014, but I guess you can't knock the security.

 

[mabrowndog]

A very smart signing, IMO. Speed, decent on-base skills, and defensive range befitting a vast outfield expanse. That's what's needed in both CF and LF for that club. He'll never be a stud at the plate, but turning balls in play into outs is a far more critical need than offense.
 
It also signifies their anointment of Gardner as heir apparent to Jeter for the Marquee Homegrown Yankee crown. His contract potentially takes him through his 15th year in the organization.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

The problem with comparing the deals directly is that only one of them can play CF for the Yankees at a time, though.   Gardner's value as a non-CF is a lot less than as one.
 
Seems like a reasonable deal value-wise even so; also suggests Yankees are ok with obp/speed instead of power in the corners.

 

[Hoplite]

Seems like a fair deal to me. If you take out his 6 WAR season and his 0.3 WAR season, he's been worth approximately $16 million a year. This deal won't start until his age 31 season, so you could reasonably expect him to decline a bit by the end of it.
 
I'm not sure the Ellsbury comparison is apt. Either Ellsbury is a bit of a power hitter, as he suggested in 2011, and he's a much better player than Gardner. Or he's the .750 OPS hitter he's been outside of 2011 and the Ellsbury deal was an overpay. And as already pointed out, only one of them can play centerfield.

 

[Toe Nash]

When Gardner has played left his defensive metrics have been even more impressive (a ridiculous +36 UZR/150). And the NYY LF is big -- having two CF is an advantage for 81 games a year.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

When Gardner has played left his defensive metrics have been even more impressive (a ridiculous +36 UZR/150). And the NYY LF is big -- having two CF is an advantage for 81 games a year.

 
I don't buy that number as a true talent level; I agree it's an advantage to have speed in LF, but his value there is still a good bit less than in CF overall.  That doesn't make it a bad signing, it is mostly about why we can't directly compare the deal to Ellsbury at this point in time.

 

[Hoplite]

When Gardner has played left his defensive metrics have been even more impressive (a ridiculous +36 UZR/150). And the NYY LF is big -- having two CF is an advantage for 81 games a year.

 
So either Gardner is the greatest defensive player in the history of UZR, or the ballpark adjustments UZR makes for left field in Yankee Stadium need a bit more tweaking (they've been adjusted before).
 
EDIT: Could also be an issue of sample size, didn't realize Gardner has only played ~2,000 innings in left field.

 

[mt8thsw9th]

 
It also signifies their anointment of Gardner as heir apparent to Jeter for the Marquis Homegrown Yankee crown.

 
Well, if there's a crown, it should be for a marquis. That does seem like they'd be putting him on a peddle-stool, though.

 

[nolasoxfan]

 
Well, if there's a crown, it should be for a marquis. That does seem like they'd be putting him on a peddle-stool, though.

On a what?

 

[Reverend]

On a what?

Do not make the mistake of thinking that it is he who does not get the joke.

 

[mt8thsw9th]

On a what?

 
If we're putting him on the marquis, why not the peddle-stool as well?

 

[bankshot1]

It also signifies their anointment of Gardner as heir apparent to Jeter for the Marquis Homegrown Yankee crown.
 

 Hopefully it works just as well as Murcer's coronation after Mickey limped out of the Bronx.
 
4/52  for a rangy corner-OF, with good speed, but not a particularly good base-runner, and no power?
 
eh.
 
the risk to this signing is that he throws his back out fielding ground balls getting through SS-3rd 

 

[mabrowndog]

 
Well, if there's a crown, it should be for a marquis. 

 
That's like the 9th time I've unconsciously misused that word on this fucking message board alone.

 

[Rice4HOF]

'And how many times have you used "unconsciously" incorrectly?  And were you conscious when you did so?

 

[glennhoffmania]

 
If we're putting him on the marquis, why not the peddle-stool as well?

 
I thought it was petty-stool, no?

 

[EvilEmpire]

Glad to hear this. Hope it goes through.

Edit: Didn't realize it was already final when I posted. Good deal. No NTC either, though there is an additional million the Yankees have to pay if they trade him.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

I assume there's the traditional 3 year opt out clause?

 

[Granite Sox]

Gardner's value may be as a CF on the surface, but Victorino is a comp, at least in the positional sense. Vic's shift from CF to the expansive Fenway RF yielded significant defensive benefits for the Sox. I believe the same will hold true for Gardner and the Yankees in The Stadium's LF.

 

[Sampo Gida]

Gardner is pretty valuable to the Yankees in that LF of theirs.  Maybe Ellsbury can teach him how to be a better base stealer.
 
What would Gardner be worth on the FA market tied to a compensation pick if he turned down a QO?.  Seems it would be worth less than 4/52  after this years experience.  In fact, what are the odds he would even turn down the QO.  Yankees might have been better off giving him a QO and then seeing what happens.  But I am glad Gardner got a nice payday for himself.

 

[mauidano]

Good for him.  A True Yankee.  Money to burn.

 

[Al Zarilla]

Gardner's value may be as a CF on the surface, but Victorino is a comp, at least in the positional sense. Vic's shift from CF to the expansive Fenway RF yielded significant defensive benefits for the Sox. I believe the same will hold true for Gardner and the Yankees in The Stadium's LF.

Except now the Yankees have two starting outfielders who can't throw. However, they are so fast that one can use the other as a cutoff man a'la Damon and Manny. 

 

[TheYaz67]

Didn't see this one coming, and not a bad signing at all. 
 
I think with Jeter soon to retire and Cano off to the West Coast, it started to dawn on the Front Office that if Gardner left as a FA next year, this truly would become an "all mercenary" team with next to no players they actually drafted and developed (outside of a few bullpen pitchers).  So from an "organizational pride" perspective, I could see how it could become a priority to retain Gardner to avoid that embarrassment.   
 
But does shine a light again on the Yankees draft failures/predilection to trade every useful minor league asset before they mature (over the past decade+)....

 

[Average Reds]

It's hard not to like this signing if you are a Yankee fan.  It's also hard not to draw the comparison to Ellsbury and wonder if the open market should have meant such a massive relative overpay for Ells, but that's water under the bridge.  (Yes, I know Ells has more power and I expect he'll show a Granderson-like jump in power with the short porch in right this year.)
 
The analogy to Victorino in right at Fenway is spot on.  The Yankees need two outfielders with the capability to play center given the cavernous nature of LF in their park.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

The analogy to Victorino in right at Fenway is spot on.  The Yankees need two outfielders with the capability to play center given the cavernous nature of LF in their park.

 
I guess Raul Ibañez isn't walking through that door.

 

[InsideTheParker]

Except now the Yankees have two starting outfielders who can't throw. However, they are so fast that one can use the other as a cutoff man a'la Damon and Manny. 

Beltran? Because Gardner has a heck of an arm.