When the Yankees traded Jordan Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals for Harrison Bader — on the buzzer on commerce deadline day — it raised eyebrows throughout baseball and warranted some explaining.
For starters, their newly acquired heart fielder was in a strolling boot as a consequence of plantar fasciitis and wouldn’t be capable to play till towards the tip of the common season. In addition to his incapability to play instantly, the pitching-needy Bombers shipped out one in every of their most constant starters to get him.
“St. Louis obviously needs starting pitching, and Harrison Bader is one of the elite center field defenders in the game,” Brian Cashman mentioned after the commerce deadline. “And so, he offers a number of lanes for us I believe, for our supervisor — when he’s wholesome, which, definitely, we did a deep dive into his medicals and there’s a number of optimism and perception that a while September smart we’ll be capable to unpack that current and deploy him as a selection for our supervisor.
“And unfortunately, it cost us one of our homegrown players, in Jordan Montgomery, that we’ve relied on a lot, too. So I’m sorry to see Montgomery go. He’s obviously a really good pitcher, he’s a really good person and he’s one of our own, so that makes it that much more difficult. But it’s a tough world that I live in and a tough world that this business operates in.”
Fast ahead to at this time and it’s a lot simpler to elucidate why the Yankees made the transfer. The query now’s does Bader assist get the Yankees throughout the end line (a primary World Series look since 2009)?
The 28-year-old made a robust first impression when he was lastly capable of placed on his pinstripes. While his elite protection — 91st percentile in Outs Above Average in 2022 — grew to become obvious instantly, his means on the plate took a little bit longer to shine by way of.
The gold glover in 2021 hit .217/.245/.283 with simply three extra-base hits (all doubles) in his 14-game regular-season stint with the Bombers. However, his postseason popping out get together has opened the dialog of how far more will be anticipated of a participant considered a defensive specialist.
Bader posted .333/.429/.833 with a team-leading 5 homers in 9 postseason video games. His efficiency was so eye-opening — mixed with how anemic the remainder of the Yankees offense was within the ALCS — that he finally made his manner as much as the lead-off spot in Game 2 of the ALCS towards the Houston Astros.
As a membership that’s trying to find extra offense getting into the 2023 season with restricted outdoors choices obtainable, Aaron Boone has no selection however to hope for the perfect with what he has in-house.
Bader’s postseason efficiency warrants authentic dialogue on if he could be a dependable offensive performer. The Bronxville native’s profession line of .245/.317/.406 is appropriate for a participant along with his defensive means, nonetheless, he did present upside on the dish with the Redbirds in 2021.
The defensive wizard slashed .267/.324/.460 with 16 homers and 50 RBI in 2021. Cashman and firm would join that manufacturing with out hesitation as Bader was arguably the perfect defensive heart fielder within the National League whereas posting above-league-average numbers.
There are additionally discussions available about Bader’s availability with simply 103 video games performed in 2021 and 86 in 2022 as a consequence of harm. As a membership that’s awfully too acquainted with the harm bug, the considered Aaron Judge — who simply inked a long-term mega-deal — having to patrol heart subject due to Bader lacking time is probably going not one thing the Bombers need to see once more.
The heart fielder does current a curious case, nonetheless, with cash being thrown round prefer it’s going out of fashion this offseason, the outfielder’s companies will probably be extremely wanted when he’s a free agent following this season, particularly with how skinny the expertise is at heart subject throughout baseball — outdoors of Mike Trout.
Baders’ 110 WRC+ would have ranked sixth amongst heart fielders in 2021 ought to he have certified with the minimal plate appearances, together with compiling the sixth most defensive runs saved since 2017. His competitors within the 2024 free company class isn’t precisely stiff as utility man Kike Hernandez, Kevin Kiermaier and Michael A. Taylor are among the many different choices.
Should he carry out nearer to the model of himself displayed within the postseason, Bader might cement himself within the Bombers’ future plans with potential contract extension negotiations quickly to observe. However, if the 14-game pattern within the common season is the participant the Yanks acquired, high prospect Jasson Dominguez is ready within the wings and figures to be MLB-ready sooner or later in 2024.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com