The New York Yankees today announced that they have come to terms with outfielder Brett Gardner on a one-year contract for the 2019 season after declining the 2019 club option on his previous contract.
Gardner, 35, is the longest-tenured current Yankees player, having been drafted by the club in the third round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft prior to making his Major League debut in 2008. Along with Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, he is one of only five players drafted by the Yankees to collect at least 1,000 hits with the club.
A native of Holly Hill, S. C., and an alum of the College of Charleston, Gardner batted .236 (125-for-530) with 95 runs, 20 doubles, 7 triples, 12 home runs, 45 runs batted in, 65 walks, 16 stolen bases and a .322 on-base percentage in 140 games with the Yankees in 2018 (101 starts in LF, 29 in CF). His 16 steals in 18 attempts (88.9%) was the third-highest success rate in the American League (min: 15 attempts).
In 1,358 career games over 11 Major League seasons (2008-18), Gardner owns a .261 (1,232-for-4,729) batting average with 790 runs, 204 doubles, 61 triples, 96 home runs, 450 runs batted in, 561 walks and a .344 on-base percentage. Gardner has averaged 4.24 pitches seen per plate appearance over the course of his career (min: 3,000 PA), trailing only Mike Trout (4.27) and Matt Carpenter (4.25) among all active players who played in the Majors last season.
Gardner's 257 career stolen bases rank third on the Yankees' all-time list, trailing only Derek Jeter (358) and Rickey Henderson (326).
In both 2016 and 2017, Gardner was the Yankees' nominee for Major League Baseball's Roberto Clemente Award.