Yanks exercise Britton option, decline Gardner and Happ
The Yankees exercised two option years on reliever Zack Britton worth $27 million on Friday and declined 2021 options on outfielder Brett Gardner and pitcher J. A. Happ.
Gardner and Happ become eligible for free agency. Gardner gets a $2.5million buyout rather than a $10 million salary. Happ’s deal did not have a buyout.
Britton, a 32-year- old lefthander, was 1-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 20 appearances, getting eight saves and filling the closer role when Aroldis Chapman was sidelined by COVID-19 from the start of the shortened season until Aug. 17.
His deal calls for salaries of $13million next year and $14 million in 2022. In addition to the team’s two-year option, Britton’s contract included a $13 million player option for 2021.
Gardner, 37, has been with the Yankees since 2008 and is their last player from the 2009 World Series
champions. He hit .223 with five homers and 15 RBIs in the shortened season, down from .251 with career highs of 28 homers and 74 RBIs in 2019. The Yankees agreed to a deal with a $2 million signing bonus and an $8 million salary for 2020, which became $2,962,963 in prorated pay.
He lost playing time in 2020 to Clint Frazier, who hit .267 with eight homers and 26 RBIs.
Happ, a left-hander who turned 38 on Oct. 19, was acquired from Toronto in July 2018, went 7- 0 in 11 starts and was rewarded with a $34 million, twoyear contract. He went 12-8 in 2019 and struggled at the start of this season, prompting the Yankees to skip his turn.