He’s the longest tenured player on the current roster, third on the Yankee all-time steals list, and arguably the heart and soul of his team. But with new stars on the rise, is it time for the Yankees to let Brett Gardner go?

Rumors have been swirling around the Yankees’ clubhouse, after clinching another postseason appearance, regarding Gardner’s status on the roster. Tyler Norton of Pinstripe Alley reported that the Bombers have shown interest in retaining the former MVP Andrew McCutchen. Since joining the team in late August, “Cutch” has been adequate at best, posting a .212 batting average but a .404 on base percentage in 66 AB. The move has forced manager Aaron Boone to rest Gardner more frequently as the outfield logjam has created some controversy. Once the Yankees’ everyday leadoff hitter, Gardner has fallen to ninth in the order as his struggles getting on base continue. 

If the Yankees choose to not resign McCutchen this winter, bringing Gardner back is still no sure thing. Budding prospects Estevan Florial and Clint Frazier both deserve opportunities to make the roster next spring. Although they have each suffered through injury-plagued seasons in 2018, the potential is enormous.

But what if Florial and Frazier just aren’t ready? Can an argument be made to bring Gardner back for one more season? The answer is probably not.

As his time as a Washington National winds down, big-ticket free agent Bryce Harper has his eyes set on becoming the league’s richest player. And what better team to give him that deal than the New York Yankees. After avoiding the luxury tax threshold for the first time in the franchise’s history, the Bombers are set to have an enormous amount of money to spend on the free agent of their choice. Putting the power hitting lefty in Yankee Stadium would surely produce fireworks and make the Yankees instant World Series favorites.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to see Brett Gardner returning to New York next season. One of the most clutch Yankee hitters of the past decade, Gardy will most likely have to find a new party in 2019.