It has been an eventful last 72 hours for center fielder Harrison Bader as he was claimed off waivers on Thursday by the Cincinnati Reds after being put on irrevocable waivers by the New York Yankees.
Bader came to know about his Yankees future via the clubhouse TV, just before the first game of the series against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
Yankees’ 6-1 victory against the Tigers on Wednesday was Bader’s final appearance for the franchise as he is headed for the Reds to assist their wildcard push.
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Despite the nature of his exit, Bader stated it was a dream come true moment for him to represent the Bronx Bombers in the MLB. The Bronxville native got teary-eyed while revisiting his Yankees stint before leaving to join the Reds.
“I never thought I’d ever play in the big leagues, let alone in the Yankees uniform,” Bader said. “I have no idea what’s to come for the future, and I certainly hope it’s in a Yankees uniform again, if that’s an option. We don’t know what the future holds.”
“With that said, it just means so much to me to be a New York City kid playing in The Bronx for the Yankees. There was just a lot of good moments. I’m just really excited because regardless of the situation, no one can ever take [away] the fact that I put that uniform on [after] growing up in that city, which means a lot to me and a lot of people who support the Yankees. I’m just very excited and thankful for the opportunity.”
Injuries hampered Harrison Bader’s season after a scintillating display in the 2022 playoffs
The 2021 Gold Glove winner made his debut for the Yankees in 2022 after being traded for pitcher Jordan Montgomery by the St. Louis Cardinals. His stint with the franchise got off to a dream start as he became the first Yankees player to hit four home runs in his first six postseason games.
However, his five home runs for the Yankees in the 2022 postseason remain the highlight of his stay with the Bronx Bombers, as injuries hampered much of his 2023 season.
“You never close the book on what may happen this winter moving forward, but certainly wish him the best moving on,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
