Yankees agree to 1-year deal with Gardner after declining team option

The New York Yankees have declined the $12.5-million team option on Brett Gardner's contract and signed the outfielder to a separate one-year deal.

Gardner's new one-year agreement is worth $7.5 million, plus the $2 million buyout, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

"I'm very excited," Gardner told Feinsand after agreeing to terms. "I wasn't sure what to expect at the end of the season, but being able to come back and rejoin this special group of guys we have in place, continue my career in a Yankees uniform - and hopefully finish it in a Yankees uniform - it means a great deal to me. We have some unfinished business. It was tough to sit back and watch the rest of the postseason this year. It was a great learning experience for us; we have a young team and had a great season, but we came up short of our goal."

Gardner, 35, has spent his entire career as a member of the Yankees, dating back to the 2005 draft. Over 11 seasons in the major leagues, the outfielder has collected 96 home runs and 257 stolen bases, amassing 32.9 WAR, according to FanGraphs.

Over 140 games in 2018, Gardner authored a .236/.322/.368 slash line with 12 homers and 16 stolen bases while sharing time in the outfield with Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton.