NEW YORK -- Brett Gardner is returning to the New York Yankees for a 14th season.
The 37-year outfielder and New York agreed Friday to a $4 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement, first reported by the MLB Network, was subject to a successful physical. The deal includes player and team options for 2022.
Gardner is the last player remaining from the Yankees’ last World Series title in 2009.
He had a one-year contract for 2020 with a $2 million signing bonus and a $10 million salary that became $2,962,963 in prorated pay, A fan favorite, he became a free agent after the Yankees declined a $10 million option, triggering a $2.5 million buyout.
Gardner hit .223 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 130 at-bats last year after reaching career-best totals of 28 homers and 74 RBIs in 2019 to go along with a .251 average.
“Obviously, he’s been a great Yankee, but we’ll just see how things unfold here,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday at spring training in Tampa, Florida.
Boone said then that Clint Frazier was projected as his starting left fielder after making great strides last year in his fourth season with the Yankees. The 26-year-old hit .267 with eight homers and 26 RBIs in 131 at-bats during the pandemic-shortened season, after batting .267 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs over 225 at-bats in 2019.
