Only hours after it was reported that the Yankees would exercise their 2022 option on Zack Britton, the team announced they would decline Brett Gardner’s $10 million option for 2021. The Yankees will pay Gardner a $2.5 million payout, and it remains to be seen if they will retain the veteran outfielder at a reduced price.
Gardner was the elder statesman of the team and the lone remaining member of the Yankees’ 2009 World Series winning roster. He endured a rocky start to his 2020 season, eventually being supplanted by Clint Frazier in the starting lineup.