New York Yankees’ center-fielder Brett Gardner has spent 13 years with the Yankees and has been with the club for his entire career. The Yankees signed him to a one-year, $12.5 million dollar contract for the 2020 season and he is now a free agent this offseason. The question is, do the Yankees resign the MLB and Yankee veteran back?
Brett Gardner was the last player on the roster this season that was apart of the 2009 World Series championship team. He’s known to be a great leader in the clubhouse and a role model for younger players. Gardner has been willing to do whatever the Yankees asked of him throughout his career in pinstripes and he always played his heart out.
However, it’s time that the Yankees realize the younger talent on their roster and let Brett Gardner walk during his free agency. It became obvious that Clint Frazier is ready to take a full role on the MLB roster and to get a ton of playing time. Left-handed Mike Tauchman, as well. The team already has established superstars such as Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Hicks that should be the regular starting three in the outfield. Of course, the injury concern always comes into mind when talking about these three, but that’s where Tauchman and Frazier would cover.
Garnder hit .223 in 29 games this season while slugging five homers. The previous year Gardner hit a career-high 28 home runs and held a .251 batting average. He is 37-years-old and is at the end of his career. That’s not to say that he won’t find himself in a one or two-year deal over the offseason, but I think the Yankees and other clubs know Gardner’s career is coming close to an end.
It’s the same idea with Didi Gregorius last offseason. The Yankees knew that young slugger Gleyber Torres was the future shortstop of the franchise and let Gregorius walk during his free agency. Even though all Yankee fans loved Gregorius, it was realistic to let him go. The same goes for Gardy. New York Yankees fans across the board love him, but realistically looking at it, it’s time to let him go