GARD BOOTY
Bret t strikes it rich with 4-year, $52M Yankees extension
Brett Gardner, going after a fly ball during a workout at Yankees camp, agreed to an extension Sunday that will keep him in pinstripes through 2018. “It takes a lot of pressure off, going out and having to perform in a walk year,’’ said Gardner, 30, who batted .273 in 2013.
TAMPA — In December Brian Cashman informed Brett Gardner’s representatives the Yankees were interested in retaining the speedy outff ii ee ll dd ee rr w it h a co n t ra c t extension despite having signed Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven-year, $153 million deal to p l ay center f ield and bat leadoff.
The general manager made good on his word Sunday when the Yankees a n d G a rd - ner agreed to a four-year contract worth $52 million. The deal starts in 2015 after Gardner plays the coming season fo r $5.6 million. The contract includes a Yan - kkeeeess’ option for 2019 for $12. 5 million with a $2 million buyout. Ga rd - n e r, 30, doesn’t have a notrade clause, but would get $1 million if dealt.
“He has made himself into a tremendous major league player and he has a mental toughness that we love and he is great teammate,’’ Cashman said of the 55-fofoot-10, 185-pound o utf i e l d e rr wh o wa l ke d on at College of Charleston and ddeveloped into a third-rouund pick in the 2005 draft.
B ecausee Gardner, 3 0, was goingg to be eligible for free aagency following this seeason, there is a chance he left some money out therre by signing the extension.
Yet Garrdner’s love of The Bronxx and pinstripes was more important than the possibbility of making more money if he had a solid 2014 season. “I leet it be known that I wanted to be parrt of this,’’ said G aa r d n e r , who baatted .273, stole 4 bases in 32 ttempts and hhad an on-base percentage of 33 4 4 last ye a r after playing in 166 games the year beefore because of an elbow i n j u r y. “I ll e a r n e d from guys that have come fromm other places that there is no better plaace to play. I am looking f o r wa rd to staying here and helping the teeam win.’’
G a rd n ee r, wh o some believe is a better center fielder thaan Ellsbury, will play left ff ield and likely hit eighth or ninth in Joe Girardi’s order.
Always candid, Gard-ner admittted he wasn’t wild aboout playing a season with free agen cy lurking. The deal is for more than the one Michael Bourn – four years and $48 million — inked prior to last season with Cleveland.
“It takes a lot of pressure off, going out and having to perform in a walk year,’’ Gardner said. “Free agency was something that intrigued me, but also kind of scared me. I have never been anywhere else. I love it here and this is where I want to be.
“It’s probably the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life and I put a lot of thought into it. At the end of the day it’s a lot of money where I come from, but it’s not going to change the way I live my life.’’
While other organizations don’t value Gardner as much as the Yankees, he has a big fan in Cashman.
“Obviously, we signed Ellsbury this winter so a lot of conversation and speculation [ was ] that [ Gardner ] wa s someone who would be traded,’’ said Cashman, who received several calls from other clubs asking about Gardner’s availability. “I stated repeatedly that I loved Brett Gardner and had no interest in moving him. Not only that, I thought he was an important piece to the puzzle.
“I started having conversations immediately with [ agent ] Joe Bick. We started the dialogue not sure it would go anywhere, but I told him we would be open to an extension to see if we can keep him here.’’
george.king@nypost.com
TAMPA — From desperation and emotionalism to vision and pro activity. Should we credit the warmer weather down here for helping the Yankees see the light?
Brett Gardner and the Yankees have agreed in principle to a four-year, $52 million extension, from next season through 2018, and with that, baseball’s biggest brand name kicked off spring training with the sort of forward-thinking move that the best-run teams make.
In the wake of a winter the Yankees dominated by spending more than $500 million, much of it via aggressive bids on other teams’ players, the Gardner signing — a team-friendly pact to a known quantity — should come as welcome news to Yankees fans.
“It’s a move we feel very comfortable making ,” Ya n ke e s general man - ager Brian Cashman said Sunday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. “His character and makeup are really good, really strong. He’s made himself into something really special.”
You didn’t hear or read of Cashman using the word “comfortable” when the Yankees announced their signings of Carlos Beltran , Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann or Masahiro Tanaka. I tried Googling “Brian Cashman,” “comfo r ta bl e” and each of the new quartet, and all I got was Cashman asserting his comfort level with the seven-year, $175 million offer to Robinson Cano that the underappreciated second baseman rejected in favor of the Mariners’ 10 years and $240 million.
If yo u’ ve been watch-ing Gardner develop since his Bronx arrival in 20 0 9, you s u re ly appreciate what he brings to the party: The ability to get on base. Speed. Great defense. And the sort of competitive f ire that makes him a ballpark and clubhouse favorite. Remember Gardner’s intensity last Aug. 18 at Fenway Pa rk , when he passion-ately defended his beleaguered