NEW YORK – The two Yankees players who started the rally that effectively ended the Red Sox’ 2010 season may have a great deal to do with what happens to the Sox in the coming offseason.
In the bottom of the 10th inning, with the two teams tied, 3-3, it was Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner who set in motion the game-winning rally that allowed the Yankees to put away the Sox’ last uprising in the pennant race.
Granderson – notorious for his struggles against left-handed pitchers – yanked a Hideki Okajima fastball through the right side of the infield for a hit. Gardner followed with a well-placed bunt down the first-base line, employing his blazing speed to beat Victor Martinez’ throw to first base. When the catcher’s throw glanced off Gardner’s shoulder, Granderson was able to advance to third, putting runners on the corners with no outs and making the Yankees’ victory all but inevitable.
The emergence of those two outfielders in 2010 – Gardner all year, Granderson in the second half – has reshaped the Yankees, both this year and perhaps into the offseason. Their performances could have a great deal to do with what happens to the Red Sox this coming offseason.
Outfielders Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth represent the prize position players of the free-agent class. The Yankees had been widely expected to spend liberally in order to acquire the services of one of those players.
Yet given the skill sets of left fielder Gardner, center fielder Granderson and right fielder Nick Swisher, the Yankees may well exercise restraint in any exploration of a deal for an outfielder.
A nine-figure contract for Cliff Lee is a very real possibility. Given the shape of the current Yankees’ rotation, it’s not difficult to figure out why pitching will be their offseason priority. But it would appear increasingly unlikely that the team will go to such lengths for a corner outfielder, even players such as Werth and Crawford who can impact the game both offensively and defensively, in no small part because they do not need to do so.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman, asked whether he was comfortable with the offensive production he received – and will receive going forward – from his current outfield of Granderson, Gardner and Swisher, did not hesitate.
“Oh, yeah. It’s a great defensive outfield, too,” said Cashman. “And Gardner and Swish along with [Robinson] Cano really offset the slow start by [Mark] Teixeira, the unexpected dip in [Derek] Jeter’s performance as well as Alex [Rodriguez] being in and out of the lineup. Those guys have carried the club in many ways.”
Swisher earned an All-Star berth. He is now hitting .288/.360/.512/.872 with 28 homers and 88 RBI. Granderson started slowly, then was sidelined by injuries, but is enjoying a strong finishing kick (he has eight homers and an OPS over 1.000 in September) to bring his season totals to .251/.326/.469/.795 with 23 homers.
Gardner, meanwhile, has emerged into a valuable weapon, with excellent on-base skills and tremendous speed that impacts the Yankees both on the bases and in the outfield. He is hitting .276/.382/.376/.758 with 42 steals, with the 26-year-old exceeding the Yankees’ expectations of what he might do in an everyday role. His OBP nearly matches that of Werth (.385) and exceeds Crawford’s (.360).
“We always felt that we’ve been fighting the industry [on the perception of Gardner],” said Cashman. “We said, ‘This guy can be a center fielder for the Yankees one day.’ People would scoff at that. And then the last few years, we always felt that he was Jacoby Ellsbury without the power and without the experience.
“It seemed like people were like, ‘That’s not what we’re seeing.’ He started to prove people wrong,” Cashman added.
The Yankees have gotten a .355 OBP (2nd in the AL, 3rd in the majors) and .794 OPS (3rd, 7th) from their outfielders. They believe that the current starting trio can sustain its production going forward.
“Granderson is what he is. He is kind of what he expected. He missed a month, and his numbers are very good,” said Cashman. “Gardner, I think, has a chance to be with us in that position for a long time. Swish, he’s been consistent every year except for one [2008 with the White Sox, which led to his availability to the Yankees as a buy-low trade target].”
The Yankees will be operating from a position of need with regard to their pitching this offseason. The same won’t necessarily be the case for their outfield, particularly given that they have contractual control over all three of their starters.
Swisher is signed for $9 million in 2011 with an $10.25 million option for 2012. Granderson’s contract calls for him to make $18.25 million for the next two years, with a 2013 option for $13 million. Gardner won’t be arbitration eligible until 2012, and he will remain under club control through 2014.
It would be foolish, of course, to count the Yankees out of any free agent scenario. That lesson was reinforced after the 2008 season, when New York was thought to have spent all of its offseason capital on CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, only to find a spare $180 million sitting around for Mark Teixeira.
Still, if the Yankees feel comfortable with what they have in Swisher, Gardner and Granderson, and do not feel compelled to raise the ante on Werth or Crawford, then it would change the landscape for other teams – including the Sox – who might be interested in their services.