Harrison Bader was placed on waivers by the New York Yankees on Tuesday night and was ultimately claimed by the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.
The Yankees have fallen out of contention, but the Reds are trending upwards and may be a team to watch down the stretch as they remain close in the Wild Card race.
And so, the Reds made some key moves to bolster their lineup and their outfield defense.
As it turns out, Bader had his eye on the Reds from afar.
According to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bader admired the Reds’ aggressive style of play, which he says he identifies with.
From afar, Harrison Bader was impressed with how the Reds play the type of aggressive baseball that he embraces. He says playing meaningful baseball in September means a lot, and he’s excited about how he fits with the Reds.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) September 1, 2023
Goldsmith also revealed that Bader is excited to see how he fits in with the Reds and to have the opportunity to play meaningful baseball in the month of September.
The former Gold Glove outfielder is familiar with the NL Central, having spent six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, a division rival of the Reds.
Bader won his Gold Glove with the Cardinals in 2021.
Now, he’ll return to the division he began his career in, but will do so with a different team, one with a bright future and an eye on the postseason.
The Reds came into Friday’s doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs with a record of 69-66, sitting six games back of first place in the division, but just 1.5 games back in the Wild Card race.
Bader will have a chance to propel the Reds to October for the first time since 2020 with his powerful bat and elite speed and defense.
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