Brett Gardner: Your 2009 New York Yankees Starting Center Fielder

According to Alden Gonzalez of Yankees.com, FOX Sports is reporting that Melky Cabrera is once again being dangled as trade bait across the league.

Widely considered a step behind Brett Gardner in the race for the center field job for 2009, Cabrera is apparently no longer considered worthy of a roster spot.

This guarantees Gardner the permanent role for the upcoming season, as the team seems very reluctant to turn to Nick Swisher for the position.

Performing admirably thus far in the spring, Cabrera hit .295 with an impressive .392 on-base percentage in 17 games.

Though his confidence appears restored, he has been dwarfed by Gardner’s torrid performance.

Hitting .409 with a staggering .469 OBP, Gardner has also shown consistent gap power. He has collected seven extra base hits, while leading the team with a .750 slugging percentage.

Gardner’s speed has already changed the entire dynamic of the Yankee lineup, and has added a dimension not available since Rickey Henderson manned New York’s outfield.

I am by no means carving Gardner’s bust for Cooperstown, or comparing his skill set to that of Henderson’s.

In terms of pure speed, however, Gardner has a similar ability to completely disrupt a battery’s rhythm and comfort level.

If the reports are accurate, it can only be assumed that the Yankees have become enamored with the play of “center fielder of the future” Austin Jackson this spring.

Jackson was sent back to the minors hours after hitting a monstrous grand slam against the Red Sox on Tuesday, but a quote from Yankees manager Joe Girardi after the game was telling.

Girardi essentially stated that he would not at all be surprised if Jackson was back with the ‘big club’ in 2009. Jackson’s 3 HR and 10 RBI spring was enough to turn heads fast enough to create whiplash.

If his accelerated progression has given the Yankees confidence in his post all-star break status, Cabrera is even more expendable.

The question now is…will anyone bite on Cabrera? His spring renaissance should result in a few nibbles, but what should the Yankees honestly expect in return?

Girardi seems committed to Cody Ransom at third base while Alex Rodriguez rehabilitates his surgically ‘repaired’ hip.

However, if a package of Cabrera and an ‘Alan Horne type’ could net the Yankees a proven setup reliever, it would be difficult not to accept.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, and what Girardi and GM Brian Cashman’s reactions to the report will be.

Cabrera’s time in the Bronx may soon be over, but it appears that center field has been left in good hands for 2009 and beyond.

Hughes Gives Minnesota Twins Their “Phil”

In cementing his place as the opening day starter for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in AAA, Phil Hughes gave Minnesota all they could handle and more.

Hughes lowered his spring ERA to an impressive 2.19, while limiting the Twins to just four base runners in 4 1/3 innings pitched.

Though he has struggled with the command of his fastball for much of the spring, the results and progression have been exactly what the Yankees have been waiting for.

Touted as the unquestionable “Ace” of the future, Hughes showed nothing but frailty and control problems in 2008.

It is nearly impossible to commit to memory that Hughes is just 22 years old. His name has been on the tip of all our tongues for seemingly a decade.

There is plenty of time to develop into what his vast potential foreshadows, but I wonder how long the impatient New York demographic will be willing to wait for him.

If Hughes is able to master his improving changeup, there is no telling how high his ceiling can rise.

His velocity may never reach the 95-96 that caused fans to salivate after reading internet reports, but it may not have to.

If he can spot a 91-92 MPH fastball on the corners while throwing his above-average curveball for strikes, he can blossom into a No. 3 starter.

Mixing in the command of a deceptive changeup could make the difference in Hughes eventually becoming a top of the rotation starter.

If nothing else, Yankee fans can have confidence in their current No. 6 starter. In the event that AJ Burnett or Andy Pettitte misses a string of starts, Hughes could fill in without a major drop-off in production.

Hughes may not be ready to pitch a full season at the Major League level, but he seems more than adequate to act as an injury replacement for a handful of turns.

Another highly-regarded Yankee prospect had a memorable moment on Friday. Center Field prospect Austin Jackson crushed his second home run of the spring.

He average currently stands at .303, and he has started to show why New York thinks so highly of him.

Like any young hitter, Jackson has struggled with pitch selection and top-notch breaking pitches. He added two strikeouts to his team leading 11 thus far this spring.

Jackson has struck out in one-third of his plate appearances, while also working only two walks.

He has a lot of work to do, but has shown the tools to develop into a solid everyday player by 2011.

The media will focus on the big names and even bigger contracts associated with them, and rightfully so.

However, it is exciting to see the minor league pipeline begin to tease us all with its talent pool.