Brett Gardner, Yankees Reportedly Agree to 1-Year, $4M Contract

The New York Yankees and Brett Gardner reached an agreement on a one-year, $4 million deal Friday, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand:

The two sides began discussions on a new contract in recent days to bring the team's longtime outfielder back to the Bronx in 2021. The 37-year-old has yet to wear another uniform during his MLB career. 

Gardner appeared in 49 games for the Yankees last season, slashing .223/.354/.392 with five home runs and 15 RBI. 

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Thursday the Yankees have a specific price range in mind for Gardner and would like to keep any deal around $3 million to avoid exceeding the $210 million competitive balance tax. 

According to Spotrac, New York's payroll sits at $192.2 million as spring training gets underway. 

Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media noted on Feb. 10 the two sides hadn't even begun negotiating yet with the Yankees still mulling over an initial offer:

"According to a baseball source who asked to remain anonymous, the Yankees haven't addressed Gardner's status since last Halloween. That's when the organization announced that it opted to pay Gardner a $2.5 million buyout instead of vesting a $10 million club option for 2021."

It's unclear how much playing time Gardner will receive New York, but given the Yankees' notorious injury problems over the last few years, the team can hardly afford to pass up on reliable depth. 

Clint Frazier is projected to start in left field with Aaron Hicks in center and Aaron Judge in right. Mike Tauchman, Greg Allen and Giancarlo Stanton are listed as backups on the depth chart. Gardner fits in nicely there, especially with Frazier yet to complete a full season in the majors.