When the Yankees declined their $7.15 million team option for Brett Gardner, who in turn declined his $2.3 million player option and received a $1.15 million buyout instead, it was not unexpected.
Both sides remain interested in a reunion, but until that happens, there’s a glaring hole in center field for the Yankees, which called on the 38-year-old Gardner to start a team-high 92 games at the position last year.
The Yankees’ depth in center took another hit Friday, when Greg Allen was claimed off waivers by the Pirates.
Following last week’s moves, Aaron Hicks is the only true major league center fielder on their 40-man roster, with Aaron Judge and Joey Gallo both capable of playing there and Estevan Florial perhaps waiting in the wings. Jonathan Davis also remains on the roster at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he’s not more than an emergency option.
Hicks, who had surgery to repair a torn sheath in his wrist in May, should be healthy in time for spring training. Even if that’s the case, however, Hicks has only played more than 100 games only twice in his career — the last time in 2018, when he appeared in 137 games.
He turned 32 last month and has an extensive injury history, but has four more years left on the seven-year, $70 million deal the Yankees signed him to in 2019.
It’s no wonder why general manager Brian Cashman pointed out following the season that center field is an area he needs to look at — in addition to shortstop and catcher.
The Yankees could roll the dice and stay with what they had last season, hoping Hicks can stay on the field and bringing back Gardner for the fourth-outfielder role he was expected to have in 2021.
Florial will turn 24 this month and his status as a top prospect has eroded after he struggled for much of the 2021 season in Triple-A.
Starling Marte is perhaps the best option in free agency. Marte is 33, but he excelled last season with Miami and Oakland and fits Cashman’s stated desire to make the Yankees more athletic. In addition to his .841 OPS, Marte hit .310 and stole 47 bases.
But the Yankees have also acknowledged they’ve become too right-handed offensively, and Marte hits from that side.
If the Yankees offer Gardner a new deal, they’ll be counting on him to pick up where he left off. Gardner overcame a rough first half and had an OPS of .799 in his final 52 games, after Aug. 1.
Following the Yankees’ loss to the Red Sox in the AL wild-card game, Gardner expressed optimism that he’d have another year in The Bronx.
“Right now, if I had to answer, I hope I’m back in that room and I hope I’m in Tampa come February,’’ Gardner said of being with the Yankees again in spring training. “But there’s obviously a long time between now and then and a lot of things that need to get figured out. We’ll see what happens.”
Gardner also knows it could take time, since he and the Yankees didn’t agree on a new deal last season until February.