Yankees GM taking calls on Gardner, Headley
The New York Yankees might be willing to part with more of their veterans this winter.
General manager Brian Cashman revealed Friday that teams have inquired about the availability of outfielder Brett Gardner and third baseman Chase Headley. Though no trades appear imminent, Cashman implied he's at least willing to listen on both names.
"I've had my fair share of hits on (Gardner and Headley)," Cashman told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "They're still here and they're here for a reason, but we'll see. We have our interest in getting younger and stronger and more flexible, and improve our present and our future. If all that provides that opportunity, then I think I'll be talking to our owner and see if he'll consider it."
With New York already trending toward fielding a younger team of controllable talent, finding new homes for Gardner and Headley could make sense. Both players gave the Yankees solid production in 2016, but are suddenly quite expensive: Headley's got another two years and $26 million left on his deal, while Gardner - now the team's longest-tenured player - is owed $35.5 million through 2019, including a club option. The weak free-agent class could also drive up the market for both players.
Already this winter, Cashman opened up $11.5 million of payroll in each of the next two years by trading Brian McCann - a deal that followed in the footsteps of New York's trade-deadline sell-off. That newfound money has left Cashman with several avenues to choose from as his rebuild continues; shedding one or both of Gardner's and Headley's contracts - on top of the earlier trades - might even put some big-name free agents back in play.
"It gives us more choices," Cashman said of the payroll-purging moves. "Whether any of those current high-end free agents are legitimate choices or not remains to be seen. But 'tis the season to engage and find out."
In spite of the Yankees' moves to get younger and cheaper, they've been connected - at some level - to free agents Edwin Encarnacion, Yoenis Cespedes, Carlos Beltran, and Aroldis Chapman. Cashman has gone on record with his desire to bring Chapman back to the Bronx, and noted Friday that he's recently been in touch with Cespedes' agent.