TAMPA, Fla. -- As the longest-tenured member of the Yankees zipped his bags for the journey south to his South Carolina home, Brett Gardner vowed to make it easy for the only professional organization he hopes to play for. If they still wanted him, he would come back, and the dollars could be figured out later.

That was why Gardner agreed so swiftly to a $7.5 million contract that will keep the 35-year-old outfielder in pinstripes for at least one more summer. A decade after the Yankees strapped on goggles and popped corks as the last team standing in the 2009 World Series, Gardner said that he needs to climb that mountain once more.

"There was no place else I wanted to be, no other team I could pick that I'd want to be on," Gardner said. "I love playing for New York and for those fans. The last few years have been exciting to get back to the playoffs and see the atmosphere that the Stadium can have. We want to feel more of that."

Life in the Bronx is all that Gardner has known, having been drafted by the club in 2005 and making his debut three years later. Gardner enters the spring in a fight to hold off the next generation, as 24-year-old Clint Frazier has announced his intent to challenge Gardner "in a respectful way" for playing time in left field.

"Twelve years ago when I was in his shoes, I was trying to take Johnny Damon's job and Melky Cabrera's job," Gardner said. "I wouldn't want him to come in here and try to do anything but that. I think that the more we all continue to push each other, the better we'll be. We're going to need him and a lot of other guys to help us get to our end goal this year."

Frazier said that he has appreciated Gardner's support and positivity as they vie for the same opportunity.

"Gardy has done such a good job of making me feel comfortable out there because everyone is coming for someone else's job," Frazier said. "He's made it easier on the younger guys, really just taking time to get to know me. That's helped. I'm trying to be as respectful as I can to him and take the pressure off myself because in the end, it's a game. I'm just happy to be playing the game again."

Gardner is coming off a season in which he batted .236/.322/.368 with 12 homers, 45 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 140 games, numbers that dropped off precipitously due to a second-half slump. Manager Aaron Boone said that while Gardner continues to set the leadership tone in the clubhouse, he also contributes markedly between the white lines.

"I think it's important to remember that he is still a really productive player," Boone said. "He's a premium, premium outfielder. Left field in our ballpark, it's no secret it's important to have a really good defender out there, and I think he's the best in baseball out there.

"The ability to go over and play center for us on the days [Aaron] Hicks is down is big, and he still has the ability to get on base and run. I still think the power is in there. I know the homer numbers fell off a little bit last year, but I still feel like that power is in there. I expect him to be a really good player for us again this year."

Aiming to play in 140 to 150 games, Gardner said that he hopes that there are more at-bats to come beyond this season as well.

"I'd like to continue playing. I don't want this to be my last year," Gardner said. "I'd love to continue playing for a couple of more years. I've got to keep my body healthy and my mind healthy. My wife [Jessica] and kids are great. They want me to keep playing as long as I can."

As he surveys the roster, Gardner said that he believes great strides have been made by the Yankees over the past two years, finishing a win shy of reaching the World Series in 2017 and winning 100 games last year -- their highest regular-season total since the '09 squad won 103.

The eventual champions have ended the Yanks' season in consecutive years, and Gardner wants to return the favor this autumn.

"It's been a disappointing 10 years and I know for our fans it's been disappointing too," Gardner said. "As one of the guys who has been in this room the whole time, it has been just as disappointing -- if not more so -- for me. I've lost more sleep about it than just about anybody. We're trying to get back there and anything short of that is not acceptable."