12:05pm: The Yankees have also avoided arbitration with David Robertson, according to Sherman (on Twitter). He'll earn $5.215MM in 2014.
Robertson, a client of Damon Lapa and Scott Leventhal's All Bases Covered agency, is currently in line to replace the legendary Mariano Rivera as the Yankees' closer. Doing so would be of particular benefit to he and his agents, as it would boost his stock heading into free agency next offseason. Though he's struggled in a small sample when used as a closer, Robertson has been one of the game's premier setup men over the past three seasons and certainly has the talent to succeed in a ninth-inning role.
11:06am: The Yankees have avoided arbitration with Brett Gardner by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5.6MM, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). Gardner is repped by Pro Star Management, Inc. Agent Joe Bick looks to have done quite well for Gardner, as MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected him to earn $4MM.
The 30-year-old Gardner enjoyed another solid season at the plate in 2013, batting .273/.344/.416 with eight homers, 33 doubles, a league-leading 10 triples and 24 stolen bases. Gardner tallied a career-high 609 plate appearances despite being sidelined for two-and-a-half weeks with an oblique strain, and he played solid defense in center field as well (particularly according to Defensive Runs Saved, which rated him at +6).
This is Gardner's final season of team control before he's eligible for free agency. In 2014, he'll team up with Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran to comprise the Yankees' primary outfield. The Yanks have ducked arbitration with Gardner, Robertson, Shawn Kelley and Francisco Cervelli, but they still have a potential hearing to avoid with Ivan Nova.
IMO they should sign him for a three year extension NOW before he gets
close to open market. I do not know or understand all the tech-baseball
numbers you guys use. All I have is my eyes, and I see a very good player
who fits in very well. Or, IF they can trade him for a very good player that
fills a hole, that is fine, IMHO.
He already is close to the open market.
I wonder if Jay-Z called Gardner yet.
Jay signs players he can market. Gardner is a gritty ball player, but not a national name with endorsement power.
Gardner doesn’t have enough freestyle beats to entice Jay-Z.
Gardner really is the kind of player arbitration undervalues. Arbitration does not recognize the value of OBP, speed or defense. Gardner has produced between 3 and 5 fWAR every season he’s healthy and he’s being paid like a 1 WAR player.
The guy is still in arbitration so he shouldn’t expect to be paid anything close to a FA who is worth between 3 and 5 wins.
But you are 100% correct that arbitration does not typically reward (as well) players who excel in defense and base running. What he excels in is usually overlooked or diminished in the evaluation. Gardner also had one his arb years essentially wasted due to injury. If he was healthy in 2012, his 2014 contract would have been at least a couple million more.
I don’t expect him to be paid his full FA value but next year he will make almost exactly the same amount as Nate Schierholtz. I think we can all agree Gardner is more valuable than Schierholtz
It’s still a pretty significant raise from last season. He’ll be making nearly double his salary from 2013. It will be interesting to see what he gets from an extension or through free agency next off-season though.
The reason his salary is still so low is because of his 2012 season. He missed nearly the entire year and therefore only got a $50k raise. Had he played the full season, his salary would’ve been bumped to this level last year and this current deal would probably be around $7-8MM, I’d guess.
I don’t remember CoCo Crisp ever striking it rich on the market as a FA and he’s been every bit as good as Gardner ever was.
Bourn got paid pretty good, and he is pretty similar of a player.
Not a major payday either however. Point? Speedy guys who just have speed/defense as only attributes does not translate into big contracts.
Crisp has had power on occasion before. With Cleveland, then last year at Oakland. Bourn and Gardner are little to no power guys, so Crisp is better than those 2 there even.
I see Gardner settling for *maybe* what Bourn got as a ceiling and Bourn had Boras as an agent. that 4/48m(?) think it was he got would be a ceiling. Crisp is 3-4Y/older than both right now, but he keeps putting up his normal numbers and probably still get 2/18-20m or so next year as a FA.
Ellsbury?
Let Gardner have a better season that Jacoby and Choo ..Cha Ching Ch Ching!!
Where do these signings put the Yankees in relation to the magic 189?
According to the NYPost, $170.058MM.
Nova and Tanaka will put them over then. If the Yankees go over they might sign Garza, Drew and some bullpen arms.
That included Nova.
Not counting Tanaka, do you know how many unsigned players they have left? And thank you for the information, btw…
I thought Nova’s arbitration hasn’t been finalized though? If it does include it then the Yankees might sign Tanaka and call it a day and just use what we have for the bullpen which I’m almost ok with. It would be nice to have another late inning option to go with D-Rob but like the front office said its either under stay under the tax line or go way over. But I doubt they go over to sign marginal players like Drew.
The article I saw didn’t include pre-arb salaries, arb salaries or the $2M or so that they owe to Wells.