Harrison Bader gets emotional leaving Yankees as he is claimed off waivers by Reds
Harrison Bader is headed back to the NL Central division, to play for a wild card contender.
On Thursday afternoon, the Yankees center fielder was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds, ending a relatively disappointing and short pinstriped period for the Bronxville, N.Y., native.
Bader was not in the Yankees lineup Thursday afternoon at Detroit, the final game of a four-game set.
With the Yankees (65-69) transitioning toward youth in the season's final month, Bader was made expendable. He joins a Reds club (69-66) in third place but one game behind for the final NL wild card entering Thursday.
"Very excited to be joining a club in their position, to go out there and play meaningful baseball down the stretch,'' Bader told reporters, including the YES Network, after the Yanks lost 4-3 to the Tigers in 10 innings.
Growing somewhat emotional as he spoke, Bader mentioned growing up in New York, attending Horace Mann, not far from Yankee Stadium, and experiencing the dream of playing for his favorite team as a kid.
"I never thought I'd ever play in the big leagues, let alone in the Yankees uniform,'' said Bader. "I have no idea what's to come in the future, but I certainly hope it's in the Yankees uniform again, if that's an option.
"I'm just very, very excited and thankful for the opportunity,'' Bader said of being a Yankee. "That was special.''
Eligible for free agency at season's end, having Bader on a long-term contract is unlikely part of the Yankees' 2024 plans - a situation that became increasingly apparent with the club's sharp fall out of contention.
Bader, 29, plays a Gold Glove-caliber center field, but he's had a rough second half at the plate, batting .240 overall with a .643 OPS in 84 games.
He was placed on waivers Tuesday, giving him the possibility of latching onto a contender through the postseason while saving the Yankees about $750,000 in salary.
The Yankees are due to call up switch-hitting center field prospect Jasson Dominguez on Friday at Houston, along with catcher Austin Wells, following the recent call-ups of left fielder Everson Pereira and infielder Oswald Peraza.
Bader had two stints on the injured list this season. He began the year on the IL due to an oblique strain and later missed time due to a strained hamstring.
He was on the IL at last summer's trade deadline, due to plantar fasciitis, when the Yankees made the surprising move to send lefty starter Jordan Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals to acquire Bader.
By far, Bader's career highlights in the Bronx came last October.
Bader enjoyed a power surge during last year's playoffs, belting five home runs over a nine-game stretch in the AL Division Series against Cleveland and in the AL Championship Series against Houston.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Harrison Bader to Cincinnati Reds off waivers from Yankees
