The Gardy Party isn’t currently raging in Tampa…but there’s room behind the velvet rope at Club Steinbrenner.
Per a report from NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty, the corner locker long used by Brett Gardner during spring training at Steinbrenner Field has not yet been assigned to anyone in Yankees camp as of Thursday.
That locker, located at the front of the clubhouse, has long been given to a tenured outfielder, as our own Sweeny Murti documents:
While it could’ve been issued to, say, Aaron Judge without much of a stir, Kuty quotes two anonymous sources hopeful of a Gardner return, one saying “I think we’re kind of crossing our fingers, hoping,” and the other quipping, “He’s signed late before, hasn’t he?”
However, that locker remains vacant as the 38-year-old remains a free agent. Gardner did indeed sign late just last year, not re-upping until Feb. 22, but the re-signing of Tim Locastro earlier in the week further clouds where Gardner might fit on the roster, even with center fielder Aaron Hicks still a question mark after missing most of 2021 due to a wrist injury, and the Yankees still need to announce a 40-man move to accommodate the signing of Anthony Rizzo that was made official Thursday morning.
No. 11 has also not been issued, meaning that shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who was issued No. 12 because his old No. 9 is retired, currently has the lowest jersey number in camp.
With Gardner still a free agent, Kyle Higashioka is currently the longest-tenured Yankee in terms of continuous organizational time (2008 Draft), while Aaron Hicks (opening day 2016) has the longest amount of continuous time on the MLB roster.
Gardner slashed .222/.327/.362 with 10 home runs and 39 RBI in 140 games last season after that late signing, and despite seemingly years of Brett the Jet returning as a “fourth outfielder,” Gardy played 49 of 60 games in the truncated 2020 season, and those 140 games last year were his lowest full-season total since 2012, when he missed most of the season due to an elbow injury.
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