Harrison Bader learned from ESPN that the Yankees had waived him
On Tuesday, the New York Yankees waived Harrison Bader.
The veteran outfielder learned of his fate the same way a lot of fans did — on ESPN. Bader spoke with YES Network on Tuesday about the moment he learned of his fate.
Harrison Bader tells @M_Marakovits how he discovered he was placed on waivers.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/T7CIGivRGs
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 30, 2023
"I was in the lunch room, saw it on ESPN," Bader said. "Guess it popped up somehow over there, so that's how I found out."
That's unfortunate.
The Yankees' season has not gone to plan on several fronts. A team with title aspirations entered play Wednesday in last place in the AL East at 64-68. General manager Brian Cashman called the season a "disaster" last week amid a nine-game losing streak.
That Bader learned of his fate from TV instead of someone in New York's front office further suggests that things are not running optimally in New York. Regardless, Bader took the news in stride and spoke with appreciation about his time with the Yankees.
"Regardless of what happened or may happen, just getting the opportunity to play in this uniform — and I still hopefully do get the opportunity to play in this uniform — just everything that's happened has just been an absolute blessing, an absolute gift. ... I'm a New York City kid, and I never in a million years thought I'd play in the big leagues, let alone for the New York Yankees."
Bader, 29, was among a number of players across MLB to hit waivers Tuesday. He's slashing .239/.275/.365 this season, with 7 home runs, 37 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 83 games. This was his second season in New York after he spent the first five-plus seasons of his MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Bader, like the rest of MLB's waived players, will learn of his fate Thursday. Teams can make claims starting Thursday, with priority based on the reverse order of standings. Players acquired by a midnight deadline Thursday will be eligible for the playoff roster with their new teams.
This means that teams in playoff contention have one last chance to upgrade their rosters with players who can compete in the postseason. Teams such as the Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants are among those expected to be in the market for talent.
