New York Yankees: Brett Gardner to fill void in final Yankees contract

In the third round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, the New York Yankees selected centerfielder Brett Gardner 109th overall out of the College of Charleston. Fifteen years later, Gardner could very well be playing his final season in the Bronx.

The longest-tenured Yankee and last remaining player from the 2009 World Series championship team, Gardner signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract in December with a club option for 2021. At 36 years old, 2020 could very well be his 13th and last year in Pinstripes as he fills a void in the outfield because of injuries.

When Major League Baseball shut down Spring Training camps amid the coronavirus outbreak, Gardner was penciled in as the starting center fielder for Opening Day for Aaron Hicks. Last October, Hicks had Tommy John surgery and is scheduled to be out until sometime this summer.

There is a long way to go before baseball can resume if it does at all this season under different circumstances. If it does return, Gardner was signed to begin the year as Hicks replacement until he returns. When he does return, Gardner then will be the fourth outfielder, should Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge be back from their injuries.

In his 13 years for the Yankees, Gardner has been a steady presence in both the outfield and the clubhouse. He has a career slash line of .260/.342/.401 from just about every spot in the Yankees order throughout the years. He has stolen 267 bases in his career and has taken advantage of the short porch at Yankees Stadium with 124 home runs and 524 RBI.

Last season, Gardner played a valuable role for the Yankees with the injuries the outfield suffered. Stanton missed all but 18 games during the regular-season and Judge missed 60 games with injuries as well. Gardner set career highs for home runs with 28 and RBIs with 74, while batting .251 in 141 games. Defensively, he made just one error in 98 games in center and 45 more in left. He doesn’t have the strongest throwing arm, but he certainly has been consistent with his glove in his career.

What happens to baseball and the 2020 season remains to be seen amid the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. MLB and the players association have been in talks about to play as many games as possible and extend the season into October and November. Whatever happens in 2020, assuming the injured Yankees come back healthy and ready to contribute this season and beyond, Gardner could be playing his final season for the Yankees. After the season, the club will make that decision with the option they have next winter.