The Yankees have struck a deal with outfielder Brett Gardner, per George A. King III of the New York Post (via Twitter). It’ll pay him a guaranteed $12.5MM. There’s a $2MM signing bonus and $8MM 2020 salary, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). The Yanks also have a $10MM club option in 2021, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (Twitter link), with the alternative of a $2.5MM buyout (via King, on Twitter).
There was never much doubt that Gardner would end up returning to New York. The 36-year-old has already been with the club for a dozen seasons and has been rumored all offseason to be in talks for another. Gardner reportedly drew multi-year interest from other organizations but evidently didn’t have much appetite for change at this point in his career.
It is easy to overlook just how big a role Gardner has played over the years for the Yanks. Excepting his injury-ravaged 2012 campaign, he has appeared in at least 140 games for the team in every season for the past decade. Gardner is one game and five plate appearances shy of tallying 1500 games-played and six thousand PAs with the Bronxn Bombers.
The formula remains much the same now as ever. Gardner is an outstanding defender and baserunner who has consistently delivered league-average offensive production. He has grown into power over the years, though it remains to be seen whether he can repeat last year’s career-high 28 long balls and .503 slugging percentage. (Those stood out even in a year of leaguewide power enhancement.)
The Yankees will certainly need Gardner quite a bit out of the gates with Aaron Hicks slated to miss time. Just how roles will be sorted once Hicks is back will remain to be seen. The health and performance statuses of quite a few other players — including sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton — will surely factor heavily. Having the dependable Gardner, along with 2019 breakout performer Mike Tauchman, will leave the Yanks plenty of options for filling in or mixing and matching if and when the roster is at full strength.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Big surprise lol
$20 million option is a surprise.
He was probably like “And if i have another year like 2019, i wanna get paid like it.” That’s a fair compromise tbh
It’s a typo, it’s only $10 mil
Say what you want about the ball being juiced. He was their best outfielder last year not named Judge. The man never had a strong arb but consistently gets assists and even at his age, he can pick it in center when needed.
Gardner hit almost as many HR’s as Judge and Stanton COMBINED last year. You probably could have gotten decent odds on that going into the season.
Not surprised
Hell yeah !!
it was inevitable, Gardy is a respected team leader, who had possibly his best ever season last year.
He really cashed in on his 2019 performance. I doubt he gets close to that level again.
@Bernie’s Dander
7 extra homers? Not that big of a deal. He was still the same guy otherwise.
Agreed. I wish they had also resigned Romine. Seemed like a good leader and clubhouse guy.
20 million option?
that option will never be exercised……
Ten million
There is more chance that Jesus returns than that option being exercised.
The Yankees do need a backup catcher 😉
Good one
They actually do, because even though Kyle Higashioka, who would be their backup catcher in 2020 if they don’t decide to get someone better has power, he is below the Mendoza Line in his career (sub .200 batting average) and below the Arencibia Line, which is a clever creation made by Blue Jays fans (sub .250 on base percentage).
So you’re sayin’ there’s a chance…
It’s a 10 million dollar option
Typo..$10M option
Popeye’s back!
i almost choked on my food you monster!
A 20 million option? That’ll be an easy decline for them.
Ten million.
Have you been doing your math homework with clepto?
Uhm, not sure what youse guys is seeing, but its a 10mil option.
Good to have him back.
It was probably a typo that was quickly fixed.
It was that
They are adding the 12 mill to the 10 mill for some reason
$10M Option not $20M
When is the MLB gonna do a hard cap or some type of draft pick loss/international money loss by going over the luxury tax smh. This is getting wild
WHEN lS AMERICA GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT TEACHERS’ SALARIES??? ATHLETES MAKE TOO MUCH!!!!iii!!!
That must be the Di-a-bet-us talking.
lmao
Athletes should be forced to donate 10% to teacher’s salaries and to help pay for the school supplies that teachers are forced to buy out of their own pockets.
Oh good, Mo4ever is telling people how to spend their money. Every person wants someone to tell them how they should spend their own money! Said nobody, ever.
If the teachers can secure a TV contract, have a reality TV show so we can watch their every move, they can receive TV money. That way we can watch their every move in the classroom. There’s your revenue, and teacher’s accountability to boot.
why?, perhaps politicians should pay teachers a decent wage to begin with, why would it fall for athletes to be “teacher taxed” cause they make a ridiculous amount of money?, they are doing their job they get paid for it, it has nothing to with teachers or the education system, should actors and and other rich people be taxed that way or just athletes and where do you draw the line? I agree rich people should pay more not specifically a teacher tax though, we should pay teachers more but you comment is ridiculous
Lol, those glorified baby sitters with the work schedule of a small child are the last people in this country who deserve more money.
Lets all take to the streets cause a gym teacher with 13 weeks vacation a year isn’t getting paid enough.
I work IT in schools. It’s 13 weeks unpaid. Also, since school systems pay so poorly you don’t get the highest caliber of teacher. So yeah you do get glorified babysitters. If you’re cool with kids getting a poor education that’s fine. Then again you’re some random jerk off on the internet so it shouldn’t be surprising.
This is ignorance at the highest level.
I believe you just truly have no idea of what a teacher puts in at work, and, no idea of how many hours a week they put in.
its equally ignorant to say someone should be forced to pay more, just because they are successful.
@crew- So you disagree with every principle of taxation that’s ever been in effect in America since it’s foundations.
I wouldn’t call it ignorant, even if you don’t agree.
That is some good trolling!
You ignore prep time, which is substantial; as well as continual training, recertifications, and administration. By your logic, baseball players get a 6 month paid vacation and only work 18 hours a week, max. Except for pitchers, who average about 3 hours per week– and those would be so-called “workhorses”.
Ignorance is starting a discussion on politics / teacher salaries on a baseball website
Good grief
When they start filling out stadiums with people who pay to watch them teach.
I cant believe you all got trolled into having a conversation about teacher salaries.
Bahahahaha!!! Right?!
I don’t know where it came from or why, but since Cole signed, it’s been consistently raised. I think it must follow the following logic: “since baseball players are students (key word) of the game, they should bear the financial burden of America’s entire education system”
When Bud Light advertisements hit the classrooms Dilly Dilly
Dude get lost….its a market based economy . Go live in Venezuela..they pay the teachers there as much as everyone else
Don’t like the pay, pick a different profession. No one forced you to be a teacher.
Hopefully right after instituting the same punishment for having below a 130m payroll
They already do
Damn I had him going overseas to play in Japan
We were all hoping it would be you jboll74 going overseas to play with yourself. Hopefully they don’t have Trade Rumors over there, so you can’t respond.
I’m going to tweet at George A. King III and just call him George King. He only has 13,000 Twitter followers and therefore does not have the required stature (or blue checkmark) to use a middle initial and name suffix.
Too bad… he could have been great down the Astros hallway, banging on a garbage can.
Ha. This is funny
Except that he onlly bangs when called out on a bad strike call. Not sure how useful that is other than to fire things up in the dugout.
Have seen him bang things when called out on a good strike call too. 🙂
Knowing what he did to the roof in the Yankees dugout, he would put some dents in the Astros trash can, despite being 5’11”, but for someone who isn’t a big guy, he is strong.
the Yankee’s seem content on just throwing money away. GOOD..!!!! Yankee fans will be paying off Cole’s salary for 10 years, good luck on inflated ticket prices
Yeah I’ll hate paying more to see a better team
@stewartnbuck
Dude money comes on the books and falls off as well. Next year we have a few guys in their last year, most of which will likely not return. Relax.
We are all hoping he doesn’t regress as fast as Verlander has. Oh yeah he’s not doing that bad is he? Wins above replacement is valued at 8 million and Gardner was a four win player. I am not very good at math, is his contract okay for the team?
We are all hoping he doesn’t regress as fast as Verlander has. Oh yeah he’s not doing that bad is he? Wins above replacement is valued at 8 million and Gardner was a four win player. I am not very good at math, is his contract okay for the team? I hope you can comprehend this stewartnbuck.
The roof of the Yanks dugout does not like this.
No way Yanks would let everyone’s favorite meathead walk away. He’s one guy I really can’t imagine playing on another team.
He’s getting a monument
Plaque
PED’s
DocBB I wish that you could test for PED’s. Gardner has never been mentioned in any PED or growth hormone scandal. Rumors start with A Wholes like you. Best not to show your ignorance.
As stacked as the Yanks are they can get by with a geezer in center field.
For a few months until Hicks gets back? Sure.
Tauchmans only 27 next year
He turned 29 last week.
Still not a geezer either way
Excellent.
Now he should look into a better masking agent because his rage was showing so much last season I’m sure he’s raised red flags with wrong people
Oh get out of town with conspiracy theory crap. Guy got thrown out of two games and banged on the dugout roof a few times. That’s not psychopathy or something. Making a mountain out of molehill. ,Yankee-hate much? Hating a sports team is a hallmark of a low emotional IQ.
I grew up on Grand Concourse. Went to elementary school on Tremont and high school at Cardinal Hayes … from where we’d walk across Franz Park after school to the stadium to watch the team
I’ve been a Yankee fan for over almost 50 years but I don’t apologize for anything. I call them as I see them. Increase in power with increase in emotional outburst is what it is
Assumption is the hallmark of too much sand lodged in the mangina.
@BuckarooBanzai
When Gardner starts hitting people with his bat or over emotional away from the game then we can talk. Dude hasn’t put on weight at all. Stop with the bull. People are making way too much over 2 instances.
Juiced ball
So Gardner has an exemption from drug testing?
You didn’t know that. Out of the 780 MLB active players, Gardner doesn’t have to take a PED’s or growth hormone test. You can look it up! Don’t understand why so many people dislike Gardner. He’s been a great Yankee.
Nice reply Mo4ever. I get so tired of all the Gardner and Yankee haters.
The tweets laying out the numbers are phrased in a confusing manner.
2020: $10M
2021: $10M team option or $2.5M buy-out
Total will either be $12.5 for 1 yr or $20M for 2 yrs
Per Feinsand
Good to have Gardner back. Suck it, all you Gardner haters. This guy is still a solid ballplayer. 2020 is going to be fun.
Gardy deserves it, he’s like the oldest player on the team played almost every game without getting hurt and put up good numbers his best ever at that.
So I totally nailed the Gardner, Abreu, and Wainwright FA prediction signings! I’m probably in the lead, right?
Expected and appropriate move, but seems expensive for a player of Gardner’s ability at this point in his career. Expensive fourth outfielder.
He was worth 4 wins last year.. Aaron Hicks is out for the year. There is no better CF on the Trade Market or through free agency. Cost nothing in prospects and only cash. It is a Win-Win.
Exactly.
Also, i thought Hicks was only out for like a half a season?
Yes only a half of a season but remember Didi last year. He wasn’t right the rest of the year when he came back.
I would agree. I would have thought $10MM tops.
Luck sure attacks.
A few of us Yankee fans have been having this conversation with AtlSoxFan, about how obsessed Bosox fans are with the Yankees, how they let any opportunity go by to erupt with some of their pent up hate lines. Conversely you rarely see a Yankee fan do the same, because we aren’t obsessed with the Sox. He demurred again. So finally it was pointed out that when a Red Sox article is posted, Yankees fans tend to say little. When they do speak up it tends to be composed. But when a Yankee article gets posted, ALL the Yankee crazies show up drooling with their conspiracy theories and simmering rage. When I let loose? It’s pretty much always in response to one of these crazies and their baseless attacks. I don’t hate Boston. The Yankee-haters feature a hallmark of low emotional IQ’s. Like 9-year-olds. This is why I call them 9-year-olds.
Except when you’re wrong and it comes from someone who was a fan before Sandman could even crawl … right?
Hater is pathetically overused.
need a tissue?
You post so much on Red Sox articles I initially thought your name was based on Mo Vaughn. There are equal numbers of Yankees fans on Red Sox articles as there are Red Sox fans on Yankee articles. Both fan bases should care what the other team is doing.
BS ffrhb14Sox. BS
Just was on a Price trade rumor update article, there you were with many comments. Keep BSing yourself.
Rarely see a Yankee fan do the same?
Are you new to the internet? That fan base is the worst in sports for that. How could you possibly believe what you wrote?
Read the articles and comments here on MLBTR. If its a RS article you barely hear boo from a Yankee fan unless a RS fan takes the opportunity to diss the Yankees. If its a Yankee article, haters piss all over it. Apply some intellectual honesty.
You’re so biased it’s not even funny. You’re outing yourself for no reason
Modern day Roy White.
Suspicious.
Lol, damn is this guy still saying this on every post? I thought that was months ago.
nice payout
What a waste of money on a 240 hitter. Yankees fans were stuck with this guy bummer “!”?!
4.0 WAR. I’ll take it.
WAR is a junk of a stat. Only foolish people fall for this stat. the most ridiculous and subjective stat in baseball
Ahh the ol’ batting average argument, how refreshing. If your name didn’t reveal the likelihood of your outdated methods to value a baseball player, your argument sure did.
He actually hit .251 this year, which isn’t great, but he hit 28 home runs, drove in 74 runs and had a .503 slugging percentage. I’ll sign up for that considering that most guys decline in their mid 30s, which even includes players that are much better than he is.
It’s fully priced, but I’ll bet they know something about Hicks and don’t want to be torturing themselves over trying to save a bit of cash. There were earlier reports he could get a multi-year deal, so a one year commitment isn’t bad.
When you can still go at his age, it’s a testament to the player on every level. Conditioning. Dedication. Focus. Skill.
When you can know who/what you’re getting … and it’s been consistent throughout his career … then this is a very good signing for both Gardner & NYY.
Nice to know Popeye will be back
Im excited. Excellent depth player to have on the team
Eagerly awaiting input from our friend, the one and only, Dr. Louie T. Beans, a man who believes Brett Gardner is the cause of the world’s poverty and famine.
No, you’re getting this random “Brett Gardner” fellow confused with “Brett Garbage” – aka mankind’s greatest supervillain.
Bronxn
Why even have the $20 mil option? Gardner is delusional if he thinks that will get picked up.
It’s only a $10M option, not $20M
It is $10 million, not $20. Read it again after the delusions fade. And having a guy who plays centerfield as well as anybody and hit 28 HR, had an OPS of .829, and doesn’t get injured is easily worth $12 mill these days.
Yankees clearly outta their vcking minds with this singing. Great 13 million for a number 9 hitter that couldn’t hit water if he fell outta a boat in the post season.
Ladies and gentlemen, the one, the only, the impossibly misguided representation of all miserable Yankees fans, Dr. Louie “Garbage” Beans!
Mrs. Beans told reporters, “My impotent hubby inherited his money. That’s the only reason that I stick with him. However he’s a real low life, angry at the world and resentful especially of people that make the
best of situations with somewhat limited tools.
He has a hard on for Gardy that is beyond belief. His little woodie wags like a little dog’s tongue so I decorate our bathroom with pictures of my hero.
During last seasons resurgence I bought a bat and bang it on the ceiling to remind the whimp about the difference between winners and losers like Louie.
I’m not worried about my position because he can’t find anyone to trim the crust off of white bread each day when I give him his pathetic p b and j sandwich to bring to work.”
Search YouTube for “Jerome WFAN”. That dude was a legend and I heard his call-ins every night as a kid.
Best power numbers of his career at 35.
Why he’s washed up
How do you figure? He had one of, if not, his best season last year.
Including rick porcello, now I have 7 picks right… nice.
Alright Gardy! who never gets on IL. I mean look at the thickness of his neck!!
Most over rated OF in MLB..
You hit the nail right on the head! Guy couldn’t hit a lick in the post season and they bring him back for 13 million. Now they are looking for a Lefty bat.
Why couldn’t they trade for a Center fielder who isl efty and could be a table setter,. No they had to play 13 million to a guy who’s gonna bat last and play 1 games to many.
Gardners like cancer you cannot get rid of him. Be ready for a .230 slash line and the mistake of batting him third in the post season.
13 million for a piece of utter garbage..
Your right on can’t hit lefty’s to !