MLBPA expects Gardner’s salary to be higher than projected in 2014

The MLB Players' Union expects Brett Gardner's salary for 2014 to be high than the $4 million MLBTradeRumors.com projected he would earn, a union official told Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com.

Rosenthal noted that Michael Bourn made $6.845 million two years ago in his final year of arbitration, and his career on-base and slugging percentages were lower than Gardner's at that point in his career, and although Bourn is a much better base stealer than Gardner, Gardner is a better defender.

Gardner had a career year offensively in 2013, hitting .273/.344/.416 with eight homers and 52 RBIs, 33 doubles and a league-leading 10 triples.

He made $2.85M in 2013 and the projected $1.15M actually seems like too little of a pay raise. Gardner is a year away from becoming a free-agent, and could get expensive, unless the Yankees decide now to extend his contract.

Some expect Gardner to get a contract near the one the Bourn got from the Cleveland Indians last winter. If you take a look at the number, Gardner is a player very similar to Jacoby Ellsbury, and he just signed a seven-year, $153 million with the Yankees.

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