GARDNER MAY BE GONZO!

If you are hoping the Brett Gardner comes back this season, you may be holding your breath right now. I know several people who were hoping that he would be back for the 2021 season and then retire. The latest rumors aren't very good. So if you are one of the ones holding your breath, you may want to exhale.

The latest gossip isn't good. According to multiple sources, NJ.com HERE (subscription required) and MLBtraderumors.com the Yankees and Gardner stopped communicating all the back near
 HALLOWEEN! That's a long time to not communicate at all if the Yankees are interested in bringing Gardner back.

It has to make you wonder what is going on and if the Yankees are genuinely interested. I thought that when the Yankees traded Adam Ottavino that the Yankees could use that money to try and sign Gardy. It made sense, but now maybe they have a different plan.

Is it possible that the Yankees are going to give Greg Allen a shot in the outfield instead? Or now that Eric Cressey said Giancarlo Stanton is "as athletic as I have ever seen him" maybe now he gets another opportunity in the outfield. You can read more on that HERE. Maybe the Yankees are content with what they have or at least feel like they have enough without Gardner until the trade deadline. 

Last week Brian Cashman did make some very non-committed sounding comments in regards to Gardy. 
"You know how we love Brett Gardner," Cashman said on Yankees Hot Stove. "He’s been here for a long time. We’ve bet on him forever. He’s always produced and honored those assessments that we’ve made, so it’s been a great marriage. I’m not saying you know it’s going to continue. I’m not going to say that it’s over. But he’s still on the board and we’re always trying to figure out a way to make ourselves better."

So it's been a great marriage between the Yankees and Gardy, but the Yankees may or may not be in it for HIS long haul. The Yankees may be ready to move on and maybe :figuring out a way to make ourselves better" doesn't include Gardy. I didn't read too much into Cashman's comment at first because this is what we expect from him. But now should we?

I'm not sure if pinstripes is in Gardy's future for 2021. It would be nice to see him retire as a Yankee on his own terms but it might not be the case. That's the tough part about business. It's not personal, but when you spend your entire career in one uniform it can't get anymore personal.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj