The Harrison Bader trade for the New York Yankees was one of the more confusing moves of the 2022 MLB trade deadline. The Yankees sent one of their best starters in Jordan Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals for Bader, who realistically was a backup outfielder for them. Combine that with the fact that Bader ended up playing only 14 games in the second half for New York due to a foot injury, and many fans weren't happy with the deal.
Bader obviously heard the complaints from fans, and understood why they were upset with him. But with the playoffs now here, Bader is set to play a pivotal role for the Yanks, and he delivered in Game 1 of their ALDS series against the Cleveland Guardians with a solo home run in the third inning to tie the game. For Bader, it was nice to finally deliver for his new team after a slow start to his career with New York.
“I want to show them all why I earned that uniform, there’s no doubt. The biggest thing is, I’ll be ready to play when I’m ready to play and when I’m healthy. That takes time. But I can assure you it was absolutely worth it. … Now we are in a position where I feel great and we’re in the postseason, and I’ve got everything to look forward to.” – Harrison Bader, MLB.com
Bader certainly has value for the Yankees when he's healthy, and he showed as much in Game 1. It took awhile, but the trade for Bader at the deadline is finally beginning to pay off, and Bader will look to continue to prove his worth to his new team over the remainder of the playoffs.
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