The Yankees season has officially begun without Brett Gardner for the first time since 2009.
But that doesn’t mean Gardner is giving up hope that he can eventually land back in New York, or perhaps elsewhere.
The 38-year-old is “staying in shape” and “waiting for an opportunity” to join a major league roster in 2022, his agent Joe Bick said via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Gardner was the longest-tenured Yankee heading into this season, but the Yanks trotted out a three-man bench on Opening Day with Joey Gallo, Aaron Hicks, and Aaron Judge in the outfield, but no Gardner.
Manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that it was a strange feeling starting the season without Gardner, who teammates have said they would love to have back for a 15th season in pinstripes. Last year, he played 140 games and his a career-low .222 with a .689 OPS.
Reports over the offseason indicated that the Blue Jays may have had an interest in Gardner, though he prefers to return to the Yanks. His lockers at Yankee Stadium have been taken over, but if there is an injury in the outfield, the door could be open for another return.
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