*Photo from The Athletic*
The New York Yankees have brought back a longtime Yankee for another season. OF Brett Gardner has re-signed for a one year, $4 million deal for the 2021 season, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. There is a player option for the 2022 season, which, if declined, becomes a team option. The Yankees have confirmed the deal.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Gardner that "There is a blue-collar way that he goes about his business. I think that’s infectious. There's a little bit of a chip on his shoulder that he plays with. He’s got a young man’s body; he’s in great shape. I think you’ve seen him adapt and apply information to continue to make himself a better player."
Gardner had a bit of a down season in 2020, posting a .223 average with a .747 OPS, hitting 5 homers and driving in 15 runs in 49 games played for the Yankees. In his 13 years, all with the Yankees, Gardner has a .259 average with a .743 OPS, hitting 129 homers and driving in 539 runs in 1,548 games played.
Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka said of Gardner that "Gardy has always been one of my favorite teammates. I think the leadership and the experience that he provides is going to be really vital to us. Guys like that are such a great role model for guys coming up. He's just the ultimate professional; he plays really hard, works really hard off the field. He sets a great example for guys coming up."
Gardner figures to be in a reserve role in the Yankees outfield, with Clint Frazier expected to start in left field, Aaron Hicks projected to start in center, and Aaron Judge starting in right. Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Tauchman are also in the mix, as well as Miguel Andujar, who can also play 3rd base. Despite the logjam in the outfield, Gardner always wanted to come back to New York.
Boone talked about Gardner's play, saying that "He’s a guy that we know we’re going to get elite defense from. As we've been a little bit more of a right-handed-dominant team, he's been a nice break in the lineup for us. He's been a guy that has given us a little bit of balance, which we like."
The Yankees have made several signings this offseason, bringing in DJ Lemahieu, Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon, Justin Wilson, and now Gardner.
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