It turns out the Yankees have a little left in the tank to bring back outfielder Brett Gardner. Various reporters including Ken Davidoff, John Heyman, and Mark Feinsand are reporting that the Yankees have agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the 37-year old outfielder, pending a physical.
The #Yankees and Brett Gardner have agreed on a deal pending physical, etc, according to a source. — Ken Davidoff (@KenDavidoff) February 19, 2021
Gardy and Yankees have agreed to a new deal @KenDavidoff on it — Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 19, 2021
Brett Gardner can make close to $11M over 2 years if the Yankees pick up the 2nd year option — Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 19, 2021
The Yankees and Brett Gardner have agreed to a one-year deal with a $4 million guarantee, per source. Deal includes player and team options for 2022. — Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 19, 2021
Working to confirm final numbers on Yankees-Brett Gardner deal (@KenDavidoff 1st) but as of a bit ago it was expected to be between $3M and $4M. — Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) February 19, 2021
Gardner contract is set up like O’Day’s deal with the #Yankees: It is a 1-yr contract with a second-year player option and if the player rejects there is a team option. Buyouts on both. Guarantee is $4M. — Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 19, 2021
Welcome back to the Gardy Party. pic.twitter.com/pOmk261D0A — Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 19, 2021
As expected, there will be a Yankees reunion with Gardy, B. https://t.co/skbUhUB6ir — Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) February 19, 2021
The story is breaking, so we’ll have more reactions coming soon.
Patrick Gunn’s quick thoughts: This is a good signing. Gardner has been a crucial leader in the Yankees’ clubhouse over the past decade and his energy and hustle would have been sorely missed. While he’s aging, Gardner still rates positively as a baserunner per FanGraphs, and he can still play all three outfield positions well. He does not have to start, but he gives the Yankees a solid security blanket from the left side. This does make the Yankees’ options for Jay Bruce and Mike Tauchman murkier, but Gardner does provide probably as much value if not more as both of those players in the short term and neither player appears to be long-term solutions for NY beyond bench roles. Not to mention he’s only going for $4 million this year, so he’s not hurting the Yankees’ pursuit to stay under the luxury tax. So, resigning Brett Gardner adds to the Yankees’ depth and helps NY maintain clubhouse continuity.
