Fan favorite Gardner back with Yankees

Brett Gardner is returning to the Yankees for a 14th season.

The 37-year outfielder and New York agreed Friday to a $4 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

Gardner is the last player remaining from the Yankees’ last World Series title team in 2009.

He had a one-year contract for 2020 with a $2 million signing bonus and a $10 million salary that became $2,962,963 in prorated pay, He became a free agent after the Yankees declined a $10 million option, triggering a $2.5 million buyout.

Gardner hit .223 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 130 at-bats last year after reaching careerbest totals of 28 homers and 74 RBIs in 2019.

WALKER JOINS METS ROTATION >> The New York Mets made a late addition to their starting rotation, agreeing to a $20 million, two-year contract with right-hander Taijuan Walker, a person familiar with the negotiations said.

Walker was 4-3 with a 2.70 ERA over 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened season for Seattle and Toronto, which acquired him Aug. 27.

He is 35-34 with a 3.84 ERA in 105 starts and three relief appearances over eight seasons with Seattle (2013-16, 2020), Arizona (2017-19) and Toronto.

FRAZIERLANDS WITH PIRATES>> Veteran infielder Todd Frazier agreed to a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates that includes an invitation to big league spring training.

The 35-year-old Frazier is a career .242 hitter with 218 home runs and 636 RBIs while playing for five teams, including Cincinnati, the Chicago White Sox, Yankees and Mets. He split time with Texas and the Mets in 2020, hitting .236 with four homers and 12 RBIs.

HAPP WINS FINAL ARBITRATION CASE >> Outfielder Ian Happ defeated the Chicago Cubs in baseball’s final salary arbitration case this year and will get a raise from $624,000 to $4.1 million.

Teams finished with a 5-4 advantage in cases that went to a hearing, their second straight winning record after two consecutive years in which players had an advantage. Overall, teams are 325247 since arbitration began in 1974.

The Cubs had offered Happ $3.25 million.

INDIANS’ FRANCONA HAD SURGERY FOR STAPH INFECTION >> Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona recently underwent surgery for a staph infection in his left big toe and will be on crutches for several weeks in training camp.

Francona, who missed most of last season with health issues, said that he was being treated for gout this winter when doctors discovered the infection, which was removed.