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10 Excellent and terrible centerfield options for the Phillies

By Gabrielle Starr

Aug 24, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds (10) can not catch a double by Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera (not pictured) during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds (10) can not catch a double by Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera (not pictured) during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Brett Gardner
Oct 1, 2021; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner (11) makes a running catch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /

Brett Gardner

The longest-tenured New York Yankee is a free-agent, and one the Phillies should stay away from.

While Brett Gardner‘s longevity is impressive, his offense is not. He’s played 140+ games in 10 of 14 big-league seasons but only has six double-digit home run years, only two of which were 20+. He does average 24 doubles per 162 games, though.

Earlier in his career, Gardner’s stolen-base numbers alone would’ve made him an appealing free agent. Between his debut season in 2008 and 2019, he averaged 29 stolen bases per 162 games. In 2011, he led the American League with a career-high 49 swiped bags.

However, that production has dropped off over the last two years, and despite playing in 140 games in 2021, he only stole four bases. He never got caught, though.

Gardner has plenty of experience, which is unsurprising, given that he’s been in the Majors for 14 seasons and will turn 39 in August. Ultimately, the Phillies should not be replacing Andrew McCutchen with someone even older.

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