New York Yankees Trade Rumors: Brett Gardner To Chicago Cubs For Starlin Castro

New York Yankees trade rumors include Brett Gardner getting sent to the Chicago Cubs. These Yankees trade rumors stem from a report in the New York Daily News on Friday, November 20. In exchange for Gardner, the Yankees have discussed acquiring Starlin Castro from the Cubs.

On the surface, the trade might make sense for both teams. Gardner could easily become the starting left fielder for the Cubs, and Castro could play second base for the Yankees. While the Yankees do still have Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder as options to play second base, the team might be looking for an improvement at the position.

For the Cubs, Castro is extremely expendable because the team has Javier Baez ready to take over as the permanent second baseman. Dealing Castro has been the source of many trade rumors since last season, but it is his contract that seems to have held up any deals from taking place. Seeing his name pop up in New York Yankees trade rumors, especially in a deal that includes Brett Gardner, doesn’t come as a surprise at all to baseball analysts.

In six seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Starlin Castro has posted a.281 batting average and a.725 OPS. That includes three appearances on the National League All-Star team and a league-leading 207 hits in the 2011 MLB season. Castro has played a lot at shortstop, but he was moved to second base so the Cubs could place Addison Russell at the position.

The Cubs owe Castro about $41 million for the next four seasons and have a team option for $16 million in the 2020 MLB season. That option comes with a $1 million buyout. Over the next three seasons, the Yankees owe Brett Gardner $37.5 million and then have a team option for $12.5 million in 2019 that also has a $2 million buyout.

Since the baseball offseason officially began, there have been quite a few New York Yankees trade rumors involving Brett Gardner. The team also acquired outfielder Aaron Hicks in another deal, suggesting the team has a backup option ready should Gardner get dealt. There has also been chatter among baseball analysts that the team wants to target Yoenis Cespedes in free agency, adding him on a long-term contract to play left field.

Sources close to both teams have confirmed that discussions are taking place between the front office in New York and Chicago about making a deal. What is still an unknown is how far those discussions progressed and whether there were other players involved in the deal. If one franchise values a player higher than the other, it could lead to a standstill in the negotiations, though.

For the Cubs, Brett Gardner could make a lot of sense as a leadoff hitter. His on-base percentage has dipped a bit in the past few seasons, but he has been reliable at getting on and stealing bases. He could help on defense as well, with Gardner offering a big improvement over having Kyle Schwarber in left field. Although he is on the wrong side of 30 now, Gardner could also add a spark to one of the better power-hitting lineups in baseball.

Both Brett Gardner and Starlin Castro have been at the center of trade rumors for a number of years now. It could serve as a red flag to any organization looking at acquiring either player. That also might be why the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs could end up being the perfect trade partners in this equation. No deal appears imminent, but that could change in a flash during the coming weeks.

[Image via AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek]