NFL
By: Billy Lewis
The New York Yankees placed centerfielder Harrison Bader on waivers Tuesday afternoon. This means any team could claim Bader, and on Thursday afternoon the Cincinnati Reds did just that. Bader spent just over a year as a Yankee, coming over on the trade deadline last season.
Despite the positive feeling at the deadline last season, with Bader’s departure, the 2022 deadline is a certified failure. While Bader spent a lot of time on the Injured List, the highlight of his Yankees run was in last season’s playoffs.
Though the Yankees were ultimately swept by the Houston Astros in the ALCS, it was not the fault of Bader. In the ALCS Bader hit .400 and had an OPS of 1.271, he also added two home runs and that’s after hitting three home runs in the ALDS against the Guardians with an OPS of 1.256.
Bader was never supposed to be an offensive threat but an elite fielding centerfielder. The playoff run was the offensive bright spot in Bader’s Yankee career. This season his OPS was only .643 with seven home runs. Bader was a New York kid and a Yankee fan growing up, while he is a free agent this upcoming offseason, Yankee fans will be cheering for him in Cincinnati.
Before leaving for Cincinnati, Harrison Bader looks back on his time with the Yankees and looks ahead to what’s next with the Reds and his career.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/KL26nXVtv6
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 31, 2023
New York Yankees Calling up Kids
With the departure of Bader and September roster expansion, the Yankees will be calling up outfielder Jasson Dominguez and catcher Austin Wells. Both are expected to be up when the Yankees get to Houston to play the Astros tonight.
Dominguez is a switch-hitter nicknamed the Martian and Wells is a left-handed bat. While players and fans alike did not see the season going this poorly for the Bombers, hopefully, the kids can come up and provide a fresh excitement for the game.
The Yankees enter Houston at 65-69 in last place of the AL East. The Yankees are looking to avoid their first under .500 season since 1992, and the last time they finished last in the AL East was 1990. While the playoffs are out of reach, giving the young prospects a shot to be acclimated to the Major Leagues can give Yankee fans some excitement as the season winds down.
