Brett Gardner Re-Signs With Yankees for 2020
The Gardy party continues in the Bronx. The New York Yankees have officially announced the return of the 12-year veteran Brett Gardner, for the 2020 season. The announcement came today, with position players set to report for Spring Training in Tampa, FL on February 17. The deal was agreed to back on December 12th but was made official today.
Brett Gardner Signing
The Yankees PR department released a tweet today, reporting that they have re-signed outfielder Brett Gardner. The contract includes a one-year deal for the upcoming season and a club option for 2021. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, left-handed pitcher Stephen Tarpley, has been designated for assignment.
The Yankees announced today that they have re-signed OF Brett Gardner to a one-year contract for the 2020 season, with a club option for 2021. To make room on the 40-man roster, LHP Stephen Tarpley was designated for assignment.
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) January 11, 2020
According to an SNY article by Corey Hirsch, Gardner will be paid $12.5MM for his services and an additional $10MM if the Yankees decide to bring him back with the club option in 2021.
What This Means for Yankees
This is a stabilizing move for Brian Cashman, assuring that the veteran Gardner will be around to mentor this talented young roster. This re-signing was made all the more important with the retiring of CC Sabathia at the end of 2019. Clubhouse value is not all he brings to the table.
Gardner put up solid numbers at the plate hitting 28 HR, 74 RBI, .251 Avg. and 10 stolen bases. This was truly a career year for Gardner as he had career highs in HR and RBI.
Gardner was also an integral piece on defense, playing much of the season in center field due to an injury to Aaron Hicks. With Hicks recovering from October Tommy John surgery, Gardner will be the go-to option for center field. In addition, the Yankees had injuries to other outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton during the 2019 season. The longest-tenured Yankee will play a pivotal role in the pursuit of their 28th World Series title.
