Once again, Harrison Bader is showing why the Yankees should try to bring him back as a free agent after 2023. The sides have postponed discussions for now, but the Yankees entered Thursday having gone 15-6 since Bader’s return after starting 2023 with 15. -15 records.
Bader is one of MLB’s best defensive center fielders and a very clutch (.833 slugging percentage in the 2022 playoffs) and improved hitter.
“It’s not up to me,” he said, or words to that effect when I told him the Yankees should extend it. But here’s my guess: As a native New Yorker, Upper East Side resident, and Yankees fan who loves the spotlight, he’d be happy.
Brandon Nimmo ($162 million, eight years) is more consistent offensively, but there aren’t any great center fielders who do damage at bats.
It makes a lot of sense for Harrison Bader to be downtown in the Bronx.Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Word is that the Rockies could be interested in hiring former Royals president Dayton Moore in a senior role, but probably not as a general manager because ownership favors Bill Schmidt. (For the record, Moore said he hadn’t heard that. Now he does.)
Moore, the rare small-market GM to win a World Series, was dramatically let go by new Royals owner John Sherman. (It’s believed that Moore’s scouting background wasn’t what Sherman wanted. Like many owners, he’s looking for even more analytics.)
Former Brewers GM David Stearns, who is sitting out a year after the botched Josh Hader trade, though he generally did a great job, is a potential candidate for the top job in Boston if the Red Sox falter. Stearns, a New York native, has of course been linked to the Mets as well, but most likely as an addition. He holds GM Billy Eppler in high esteem and is close with Stearns.
The Phillies are right for first baseman Eric Hosmer, though Darick Hall is pretty close. It doesn’t look like putting Bryce Harper at risk seven months after Tommy John surgery.
For all the criticism of the Padres’ Juan Soto, he has a plus 154 OPS, two points lower than his career mark of 156 (which is one point higher than Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Joe DiMaggio).
Juan Soto is playing, once again.AP
St. Louis has plenty of hitters and rivals believe Tyler O’Neill could be available.
Julio Urias is starting to catch, but he’s still three to four weeks away from returning to the Dodgers. He’s a lefty who pitched less than 100 percent last week against the Cardinals, a mistake.
Walker Buehler hopes to return to the Dodgers in September, but it wouldn’t necessarily be as a starter.
The White Sox’s Liam Hendriks, cancer-free after battling stage 4 lymphoma, will pitch again on Friday and could be activated soon. Great story!