With the Yankees recent acquisitions of Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, multiple reports have surfaced that Brett Gardner could become trade bait in order to fill other needs on their roster.
By now you all have heard that the Yankees have added two more outfielders, which brings the total of outfielders on their roster to six. With that being said, it's more than likely that the club will try to trim that number down a bit before opening day.
Two outfielders that could become expendable are Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki, but it may be hard to find a match due to their old age and decline in production. There has been some noise coming out of the San Francisco Giants front office about acquiring Ichiro Suzuki, though.
If they Yankees go ahead and part ways with Brett Gardner via trade, then they could address some of their needs, such as starting pitching, the bullpen, and the infield.
The Yankees are currently looking for one-two more starting pitchers and a second baseman, due to Robinson Cano's departure. With Gardner headlining a deal, the Yankees could bring in an above-average starting pitcher or second baseman, along with a relief pitcher.
It's also worth nothing that Gardner's contract expires at the end of the season and he could be seeking a sizable deal, so it could save the Yankees some money in the long run.
The Yankees could very well keep Gardner be the starting left fielder with Jacoby Ellsbury is center field and Carlos Beltran in right.
With the Winter Meetings kicking off on Monday, we'll find out soon enough what the Yankees' plans are with Gardner.
