Why was Harrison Bader placed on waivers? Yankees make talented slugger available prior to playoff push

Former New York Yankees Slugger Harrison Bader

On Tuesday, the New York Yankees stated they had placed outfielder Harrison Bader on waivers. The news comes shortly after the team released veteran slugger Josh Donaldson.

Placing Bader on waivers at this time will give him postseason eligibility. Contending teams have until September 1st to sign any player to be eligible to play in the playoffs.

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In 82 games, Bader has hit .242/.279/.370 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs. While he started the season off hot, he has cooled off. He has had trouble seeing the ball at the plate, compiling an 18.2% strikeout rate.

Harrison Bader's exit could make way for an exciting prospect

Harrison Bader's exit could mean the promotion of exciting prospect Jasson Dominguez. He is playing in Triple-A right now, tearing the cover off the ball with a .478 batting average.

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If the Yankees see him as a core member of the outfield for the 2024 season and beyond, giving him a taste now makes sense. The team does not have much to play for. They sit 11 games behind the Houston Astros, who hold the final American League Wild Card spot.

The Yankees have their eyes set on the future, and it will be interesting to see what moves they make in the offseason.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom