Gardner entered the 2018 season as a member of a crowded outfield. However, due to injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury, (who missed the entire 2018 season with various ailments), Clint Frazier, who suffered a concussion in spring training that sidelined him for most of the season, and Aaron Judge (who missed two months with a wrist injury), Gardner saw more playing time than originally expected, appearing in 140 games. He finished the season batting .236 (his worst average since 2008), with 12 home runs and 45 RBIs. On October 31, 2018, the Yankees announced they had declined his $12.5 million option for 2019, and instead re-signed him to a one-year, $7.5 million contract for the 2019 season.