TAMPA — It took longer than expected for Brett Gardner to strike a new deal with the Yankees, and the longtime outfielder acknowledged the two-year contract he signed last week will likely be his last.

“I’d say that’s pretty safe,” Gardner said.

But Gardner also added, “Let’s take things not one year at a time but one day at a time.”

Gardner inked a $4 million contract that technically lasts two years because it features a $2.3 million player option for 2022. If Gardner enjoys a strong 2021, he can decline that player option, which would give the Yankees the right to exercise a $7.15 million contract for 2022 or buy him out for $1.15 million.

“I wouldn’t say [I did] a lot of exploring,’’ Gardner said of his free agency. “Obviously, it took a long time for things to work out, but I was hopeful the whole time. I’ve never been shy about wanting to finish my career here. I was asked from the get-go to be patient and I was patient.”

The Yankees made it clear their top priority was bringing back DJ LeMahieu, which they did. Even then, the LeMahieu deal was agreed to by mid-January and it took more than another month before Gardner got his contract, as the Yankees tried to add bullpen help — and Gardner — while staying under the $210 million luxury-tax threshold.

It wasn’t the first uncertain offseason for Gardner, who admitted it was “frustrating” for his new contract to take so long to complete, but added, “No hard feelings.”

“We’ve been talking about this for the last two to three years,” Gardner said of the end of his career. “I’ll obviously be 38 in August. There are no guarantees. You never know what’s around the corner, never know what to expect.”

Because of that, Gardner said, he’ll “soak all this in and enjoy it. If that’s it, then that’s it. If there’s one more year in me, then we’ll do that, too. I’m focusing on the present and focusing on how we’re going to navigate this long season with all these [COVID-19] protocols in place. I’m glad I’m here.”

How Gardner fits into the Yankees’ 2021 plans remains to be seen, with Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman both declaring Clint Frazier the starting left fielder, and Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge slated for the other two outfield slots.

Frazier said he was at the “top of the list” of people happy about Frazier’s return, and Hicks added Gardner is a “much-needed” voice in the clubhouse.

Gardner, though, also wants to make a difference on the field.

“We’ve been through this before,’’ Gardner said. “We know how talented those guys are. At the same time, I know what I’m still capable of doing. If I didn’t think I was still capable of performing at a high level, I wouldn’t be here. [The season] doesn’t always unfold the way you draw it up and the more depth you have, the better.”

Prior to reaching a deal, Gardner said he considered coming back to the Yankees, playing elsewhere and even retirement.

“All three were on the table,’’ Gardner said. “I know I didn’t want my career to end with the way the season ended last year against the Rays and I wasn’t able to play in front of fans pretty much all year.”

So he entered the offseason “fully expecting to play this season and expecting to be back here, but it took awhile.”

He added he was “open-minded about going other places and keeping options open. I’m happy things worked out and I didn’t have to look too seriously to go somewhere else.”