New York Yankees: Brett Gardner eyes 2021 return

New York Yankees OF Brett Gardner didn’t envision 2020 to play out this way.

Brett Gardner never quite fit the description of a New York Yankees lifer. He isn’t a perennial power-hitter, has never hit .300 for a season, and features a limited resume which includes just one All-Star selection and a Gold Glove Award.

When it’s all said and done, however, even if the only World Series ring he wears came from the 2009 Championship season more than a decade ago, number 11 will likely be honored in Monument Park alongside the legends that came before him.

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For Gardy, this isn’t good enough though. He doesn’t want to walk away from the game as a life-long Yankee with just one ring and with his head hung low.

After having a career year in 2019, 2020 hasn’t quite played out the way Gardner wanted it to. To this point, Gardy is hitting just .198 with a .721 OPS, marking the absolute low point of his 13 seasons in MLB.

During the current 9-game win streak for the Yankees, however, Gardner is hitting .273 with a 1.065 OPS and Gardy has taken notice. “This season hasn’t gone how I wanted from a numbers standpoint,” Gardner told reporters earlier this week, “but recently I have felt much better.”

As I said earlier, this isn’t the way he envisioned the ending of his career to play out. He said as much to reporters this week, “I definitely don’t want my last games played to be in front of no fans. I would love for my family to have the chance to see me play again.”

Is there enough room on the New York Yankees roster for Brett Gardner in 2021?

From Gardner’s perspective, a return to the Yankees in 2021 is looking less and less like a realistic possibility. That is, unless he agrees to take on a lesser role for much less money for the organization moving forward.

You see, there is no shortage of outfielders on this team. This season, Clint Frazier seems to have finally cemented his standing as a starting outfielder, there’s also Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, Mike Tauchman, and outfield prospect Estevan Florial available to the team.

The only possible way for Gardy to stay with the organization is to agree to take on a role as a late outfield replacement or a pinch-runner in games here and there.

OR he could get his wish and walk away with his head held high. The Yankees are surging at just the right time and could be looked at as favorites to win the World Series again this year. If they do, what better way to walk away than with a Championship ring.