Brett Gardner Plans to Play in 2022, Prefers to Return to Yankees
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After the Yankees' loss to the Red Sox in the Wild Card Game this past October, a debilitating conclusion to a frustrating campaign, Brett Gardner made it clear that he's not quite ready to hang up his pinstripes.
"I hope that I'm back next season," the outfielder said, still donning his uniform an hour after the final out at Fenway Park. "I hope that I'm in Tampa come February, but there's obviously a long time between now and then, a lot of things that need to get figured out. We'll see what happens."
No matter what, Gardner won't be able to fulfill that goal. Baseball's ongoing lockout will keep every big leaguer away from spring training in the month of February. When it comes to March and beyond, however, Gardner is still positioning himself to suit up for a 15th season.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post spoke to Gardner's agent this week, asking for an update about the veteran outfielder's status. Here's what Joe Bick had to say:
I asked Gardner’s long-time agent, Joe Bick, if the 38-year-old intended to play in 2022 and received a one-word text reply: “Yes.” When asked if he would do so for a team other than the Yankees, Bick responded, “Yes. But would obviously prefer to stay with the NYY the entirety of his career.”
At first glance, this doesn't seem like much of an update at all. Gardner wants to play another year and prefers to do so with the Yankees. But this update also lays the foundation for the possibility that Gardner will wear a new uniform this coming season, playing for a different big-league club for the first time in his career.
Just because Gardner is open to coming back doesn't mean that the Yankees—or any other MLB team for that matter—will offer him a roster spot.
Gardner, 38, is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career when it comes to statistical production. The outfielder posted a slash line of .222/.327/.362 with 10 homers, 39 RBI and 100 strikeouts. Gardner was a 1.0 bWAR player in 2021, the lowest Wins Above Replacement he's had in a full season in his entire career.
That said, Gardner also flashed his patented durability in pinstripes a year ago, playing in 140 games for a club that battled overwhelming adversity. He may not set the league on fire with his production, but his numbers are respectable for a 38-year-old, he can play reliable defense, dart around the bases and with his experience, you have to figure his presence would be welcomed in any clubhouse.
For the Yankees, Gardner could return on another one-year pact for the fourth straight winter, coming back in a fifth-outfielder role on the bench. After all, New York has already said goodbye to several depth pieces this offseason, parting ways with Tyler Wade, Clint Frazier, Rougned Odor and more. Why not bring back the longest-tenured Yankee if he's willing to take a team-friendly deal?
Besides, who knows what type of interest Gardner would receive if he tests the open market when the lockout ends. This will be a free agency unlike any other when activity resumes, a period featuring a flurry of moves in an expedited window as clubs prepare to finally report to big-league camp.
There's a chance a player like Gardner would struggle to find a home, slipping through the cracks as bigger names and younger assets sign across the league. You can certainly make the argument that the Yankees don't need Gardner as well. MLB Trade Rumors mentioned the Phillies and Marlins as possible suitors for Gardner. Perhaps his relationship with Philadelphia's manager Joe Girardi and Miami's CEO Derek Jeter, from their time in New York, could tip the scales.
Sherman said it best with the final line of his story on Saturday. No matter how you feel about Gardner, and how many years he's been in the league, he "can still help a contender."
Only time will tell if that "contender" is the team that Gardner has played for since he was drafted in 2005.
MORE:
- Yankees' Joey Gallo Wants MLB to Axe the Shift
- Top Yankees Prospect Jasson Dominguez Sets Target for MLB Debut
- Why the Yankees Might've Lost Another Shortstop Target For After Lockout
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