New York Yankees centerfielder Harrison Bader is among several veterans across MLB who were shockingly placed on waivers Tuesday. The move, which was first reported by Newsday's Erik Boland, comes just a few hours after the Yankees released Josh Donaldson. Bader is in the final year of his contract.
The move could allow Bader to join a playoff contender. MLB teams will get a chance to claim Bader off waivers before he hits free agency. Bader would have to be claimed by a team before Sept. 1 in order to be eligible to be part of the playoff roster.
Bader's release certainly reflects poorly on the Yankees' decision-making regarding the outfielder.
New York swapped Jordan Montgomery for Bader at the 2022 trade deadline. While the Yankees have given up on Bader, Montgomery has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball and will be a key part of the Texas Rangers' playoff run. New York almost certainly could have gotten value for Bader at this year's trade deadline. Instead of trading Bader for a prospect on Aug. 1, the Yankees have placed him on waivers just four weeks later.
Bader is hitting .242/.279/.370 with seven home runs in 82 games. The 29-year-old has struggled mightily at the plate in the last two months. After posting a .581 OPS in July, Bader had a .526 OPS for the Yankees in August.
The move could potentially open a spot in the outfield for highly regarded prospect Jasson Dominguez. The Yankees promoted Dominguez to Triple-A a little over a week ago.
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