Brett is back to bang for one more season.
The Yankees and Brett Gardner agreed to a one-year pact on Thursday with a value of $12.5 million. There is also an option for 2021 for the 36-year-old outfielder, valued at $10 million, per the New York Post's George King.
Gardner, a benificiary of whatever was happening with the baseball in 2019, clocked a career-high 28 home runs in 141 games. Gardner also set a career high in slugging percentage at .503.
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Coupled with his above-average defense, Gardner was worth 4.0 bWAR/3.6 fWAR in the 2019 campaign.
The Yankees' outfield needed a bit of a bolstering, with the uncertainty of timetable for the return of Aaron Hicks, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Hicks could be out until around the All-Star break should rehab go according to schedule. The Yankees also are expecting a bounce-back year from Giancarlo Stanton, who played in just 18 regular season games as he nursed quad and knee injuries.
Gardner rejoins an outfield that features Hicks, Stanton, Aaron Judge, Clint Frazier and Mike Tauchman. Cameron Maybin, currently a free agent, also played into the outfield equation in 2019.
This is the second-straight season that Gardner has been brought back on a one-year deal.
