Yankees have to bring back Brett Gardner for the 2020 season

Brett Gardner enjoyed a career-year offensively for the Yankees in 2019 and this offseason he should garner a lot of interest when he becomes a free agent. We know he would love to return to New York and the Yankees would love to bring him back so the expectation is both sides will agree to a deal rather quickly once the free-agent period begins.

Gardner has spent his entire professional career with the Yankees and just finished off his 12th major league season in pinstripes. Even at age 36, Gardy proved last season that he still has plenty left in the tank and the decision to re-sign him should be a pretty easy one for GM Brian Cashman and company.

Not only is he coming off of a terrific all-around season, but he’s also the longest-tenured player on the roster and one of the main leaders in the clubhouse. Gardy’s always been an outstanding teammate and role model for the younger players and now that CC Sabathia is retired it’s even more important the Yanks bring him back so he can continue to be that calming veteran presence.

It already sounds like Cashman is planning on re-signing Gardner after he told reporters during his season-ending press conference that he was confident the veteran would be able to handle the load in center field next season. Per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News:

"“I don’t think there’s any question about what his capabilities are,” Brian Cashman said of the 36-year-old Gardner being able to play center field in 2020.“He had a tremendous season, both sides of the ball offensively and defensively, including playing center field. Obviously, he’s a free agent. If I guess the main question is can he handle playing center field in 2020? Both offensively and defensively? I don’t think there’s any question, based on the performance he put forth this year and last year.”"

With Aaron Hicks out of action until June at the earliest recovering from Tommy John surgery someone is going to have to fill in for him and if Gardner is brought back he’d be the Yankees’ best internal option to do so. Mike Tauchman could also be an option but if the plan in 2020 is for Giancarlo Stanton to be the primary DH than Tauchman should spend most of his time patrolling left field.

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Like Gardner, Cameron Maybin is also going to be a free agent and probably won’t be re-signed because he’s really not a center fielder anymore. As for Clint Frazier (who could be traded), he struggles enough defensively at each corner outfield position and would never be trusted in center. Estevan Florial, the third-ranked prospect in the system could be the future centerfielder for the Yanks if he ever puts it all together but he’s still at least another year away from reaching the big leagues.

I also don’t think the Yankees would be very active on the CF free-agent market because Hicks is still locked up for another six years. However, even if they were there isn’t really anyone they could sign who is better than Gardner. Another reason why it makes all the sense in the world to bring him back.

Last offseason the Yankees resigned Gardy to a one-year, $7.5 deal very early into the offseason on October 31st. I think we can expect a similar timetable for them to get a deal done this time around. When that deal was announced I thought they might have overpaid because he wasn’t expected to be an everyday player but next season he will be at least until Hicks comes back.

And after the career year he just had, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yanks increased his salary and offered him another one-year deal closer to the $10M range. There’s a chance he’ll get some multi-year offers from other clubs but if that’s the best offer he could get to return to New York I doubt he would hesitate to take it.

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