Report: Brett Gardner Turned Down Contract Offer From Blue Jays
Free agent outfielder Brett Gardner reportedly turned down a one-year, six-million-dollar contract offer from the Blue Jays after the lockout ended, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
At that time, it was no secret Toronto was pursuing a left-handed utility bat, and Gardner made sense on a short-term deal. Ultimately, the Blue Jays went the trade route, dishing outfielder Randal Grichuk to the Rockies for Raimel Tapia.
Gardner, 38, has played his entire 14-year career with the Yankees, picking up 1,470 hits and registering an even 100 OPS+. It’s unclear whether he plans to return this season, though, as Rosenthal notes, multiple teams have expressed interest in his services.
The Blue Jays have struggled to find offensive production since the season began, and Toronto outfielders have produced just 81 wRC+, 24th in MLB. It’s likely too early to make a roster change at that position, but if Gardner intends to return, the Blue Jays are likely to call again.
H/T Ken Rosenthal
Ethan Diamandas is a contributing writer who covers the Toronto Blue Jays for Sports Illustrated. He also writes for Yahoo Sports Canada and MLB.com. Follow Ethan on Twitter @EthanDiamandas