MLB
August 29, 2023 | 11:12 p.m
DETROIT — Harrison Bader was in the kitchen at the Yankees clubhouse about 10 to 15 minutes before Tuesday’s game when he looked at the television, which was playing on ESPN, and learned that he had been granted special permits.
His first reaction was, “What does relinquishment mean?” After figuring that out, the upcoming free-agent center fielder had a game to play.
The Yankees hit Bader with irrevocable waivers Tuesday, the Post’s Joel Sherman reported, giving competing teams a chance to claim him and add him to their roster by Friday, which would make him eligible for their postseason roster.
If Bader is not claimed during the 48-hour waiver period, he would remain on the Yankees’ roster.
Meanwhile, Bader found himself in limbo as he awaited his fate.
“I’m just on my phone,” Bader said after the Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Tigers at Comerica Park. “But listen, it is what it is. Regardless of the situation, you get the opportunity to play baseball, especially in the big leagues, it’s never a given.”
Harrison Bader was placed on waivers by the Yankees. YES
Manager Aaron Boone said he could not comment on the news.
In possibly one of his final games as a Yankee, Bader went 0-for-4 and made an uncharacteristic error in center field. He said the news of the waiver came to his mind at some point during the game.
“I’m human, so yeah, maybe a little bit,” he said. “But I did a really good job of just turning it off once you get between the white lines. It’s those moments in between, when you take the helmet off and stuff, when you just think, “Hmm, that really happened.” ”
The Yankees acquired Bader from the Cardinals at the close of trade last year and then decided not to move him by this year’s deadline, instead trying to see if they had a chance of making the playoffs. But they have continued to decline, which has recently led them to prioritize younger players who could be part of their future.
Bader, who sat twice in the last four games before Tuesday while enduring a brutal slump at the plate, said he appreciated his time with the Yankees.
“No matter what happened or could happen, just getting the opportunity to play in that uniform — and hopefully I still get the opportunity to play in that uniform — just everything that happened was an absolute blessing and an absolute gift,” the Bronxville native said. “I never in a million years thought I would be playing in the big leagues, let alone for the New York Yankees. The opportunity was incredible and I loved every second of it.”
Bader admitted that it was “a little strange” to hear about the waivers via ESPN – it’s not uncommon for teams not to tell players about irrevocable waivers – although he didn’t seem upset about it.
Harrison Bader Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
“I never watch ESPN, that’s the funny thing about it,” he said during a lighthearted session with reporters. “I just don’t even watch ESPN and all of a sudden it starts. Tune in, timing is everything. …Who knows what will happen? I just know that when I get my hands on the bat and get the opportunity to play in the middle, I know what I can do. I’m just excited and we’ll see where it goes.”
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