OF Brett Gardner would rather retire than play for club other than Yankees?

It was known back before the start of spring training that outfielder Brett Gardner wanted to return for at least one more season with the New York Yankees. The problem was that the Yankees didn't re-sign him and didn't seem to be in any hurry to do so before April. 

There have thus far been no indications the Bronx Bombers have missed Gardner's presence, as they began Friday holding the best record in all of MLB (23-8) and, per ESPN stats, sitting fifth in the league with 150 runs scored. 

It appears the 38-year-old may prefer to retire than play for any other club this spring or summer. 

For a piece published Friday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote that Gardner rejected a one-year contract worth $6 million to join the Toronto Blue Jays after the lockout ended. Rosenthal added the Atlanta Braves were also interested in possibly signing Gardner after Eddie Rosario went down with an eye issue. However, Gardner didn't pursue that opportunity. 

Per James O'Connell of SNY, Yankees manager Aaron Boone already has his "10-man lineup" set and, thus, has no available spot for Gardner even on the bench. The possibility exists that the Yankees could come calling if somebody goes down with an injury, but Gardner may have to experience a change of heart at some point if he wishes to extend his career past the 2021 campaign.