The 28-year-old baseball outfielder Harrison Bader commenced his major league baseball career in 2017 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He stuck to the Cardinals for five years before getting traded into the New York Yankees in 2022. That proved to be a costly mistake from the Cardinals, who lost a gem. The reasoning behind the trade is still unknown, but it worked out wonderfully for the New York-based team.
Harrison Bader transformed into a player in the Bronx. In just 14 appearances, he had nine RBIs and .809 OPS with a batting average of .217. However, it was the outfielder’s defensive skills that made him a fan favorite in a short span of time. Widely regarded as one of the best center fielders in MLB, Bader displayed glimpses of his skillset in the short sample size in 2022. Moreover, the outfielder carried his form in the current season, which should encourage the Yankees to extend his contract next season.
Harrison Bader Is Meant To Be A Forever Yankee
Born in Bronxville, joining the New York Yankees felt like a homecoming to center fielder Harrison Bader. He did his schooling in Riverdale and played as a center fielder for the school’s official team. Later he had to shift to Florida for college, wherein he was drafted by the Cardinals in 2015. Slowly over the years, Bader sharpened his skills in the center and impressed the fans with his acrobatic field plays. Hence, when the Cardinals decided to trade the outfielder to New York, it took the MLB fraternity by surprise. Maybe the injury history played a part. Who knows? But the Yankees welcomed Bader with open arms. The star slugger, Aaron Judge, handed over the center field duties to Harrison Bader, who did a tremendous job in a short while.
However, his 2023 season debut got delayed due to an oblique injury. Fortunately, the injury did not aggravate, and he returned in the month of May. Bader’s return brought the struggling offense back on track. Since return, the outfielder has hit .263 with five home runs and 17 RBIs. His defense has been top-notch, as usual. These stats encouraged the fans to urge the Yankees to retain the outfielder in the upcoming free agency. Harrison’s contract with the Bombers will expire at the end of the ongoing season, and there have been no talks of an extension just yet. When prompted the question, the outfielder subtly said it was not in his hands. Regardless, Bader in the Bronx is a match made in heaven, and for what it’s worth, Harrison Bader is meant to be a forever Yankee. Hence, the team must consider extending his contract soon.
Ex-MLB Manager Feels Yankees Might Overhaul Their Lineup In The Near Future
Speaking for the Yankee’s ongoing season, it’s been marred badly by injury concerns. Hence, former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine believes if the team wants to stay in contention for the World Series title, they have to change the outlook of the roster. Meaning the Yankees’ general manager must carry out a few more trades to bring in strong players on the roster.
Valentine firmly believes that the GM still has a lot to do. He is actively looking for trade opportunities in the market to reshape the roster. The ex-manager even urged the Yankees to take a leaf out of the Atlanta Braves’ book. The Braves made multiple trades during the deadline in 2021, which helped them win the championship. Hence, the Bronx Bombers could pull off something similar to turn their fate around.