USA Today
After an atrocious first week of the season, Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner hit a home run on Friday to get headed on the right track. Entering his final at-bat of the night, he was 0-for-12 but smashed a two-run homer to right for his first hit of the year.
His home run helped the Yankees seal a series opening win against the Boston Red Sox.
With the circumstances of the season and his declining ability, we may not see Brett Gardner as much down the road. Instead, we may see guys like Miguel Andujar or Clint Frazier in left field. Andujar is 1-for-5 in two games while Frazier is currently at the alternate training site.
Gardner has an expiring contract after 2020, but could stay through 2021 on a club option. If he continues to struggle, it’s likely that the Yankees either don’t bring him back or renew a cheaper contract.
If he isn’t back in pinstripes in 2021, Frazier, Andujar, or a free agent could replace him to start in left. Another option would be to start Giancarlo Stanton in left, but his offense production is usually better the less he plays the field.
Guys like Marcell Ozuna, Michael Brantley, and Joc Pederson are all guys who play left field and become free agents following the season. All three guys are solid options, but the team could go in-house to save money.
If either Gardner or Andujar have a big 2020 season, then things could take care of themselves. The home run that Gardner hit on Friday was a big one, and hopefully the team sees more production from him down the road.
This post was published on 2020-08-01 13:35
