OF Brett Gardner agrees to one-year contract

The Yankees today announced that they have agreed with OF Brett Gardner on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, thus avoiding arbitration.

Gardner, who was selected in the third round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, hit .259 (132-for-510) with 87R, 19 doubles, 7HR, 36RBI and 60BB in 159 games in 2011 (124 starts in LF and 10 in CF). He also stole 49 bases, tying Oakland's Coco Crisp for the American League lead and trailing only Houston's Michael Bourn (61) in the Majors. In the ALDS vs. Detroit, Gardner hit .412 (7-for-17) with 3R, 1 double, 5RBI and 1BB.

Over four Major League seasons, all with the Yankees, Gardner owns a .264 (360-for-1362) career batting average with 50 doubles, 23 triples, 15HR, 122RBI, a .353 on-base percentage, and 135 stolen bases in 163 attempts (82.8%). With 47 stolen bases in 2010 to go along with his 49 steals in 2011, he joined Fritz Maisel (1914-15) and Rickey Henderson (1985-86) as one of only three Yankees in franchise history to record back-to-back seasons with at least 45 stolen bases.