The New York Yankees have reportedly expressed interest in this Gold Glove award winner in the event that Cody Bellinger walks.
The New York Yankees remain at a standstill with Cody Bellinger, who is apparently asking for a seven-year contract while the Yankees have offered five years.
New York isn't budging. Bellinger doesn't appear eager to move off of his stance either ... nor does super agent Scott Boras.
While it's hard to imagine any team being willing to go beyond five years for Bellinger, there is a very real possibility that the former NL MVP could walk, and if that happens, the Yankees will need to have a backup plan.
Going with Jasson Dominguez in left field is probably the No. 1 option, but given Dominguez's struggles against left-handed pitching, it would behoove New York to find a right-handed bat to platoon with Dominguez.
On that note, Jack Curry of YES Network has reported that the Yanks have expressed interest in a familiar face: Harrison Bader.
Bader spent parts of two seasons in the Bronx between 2022 and 2023, slashing .237/.274/.353 with seven home runs and 46 RBI over 359 plate appearances. He also famously smashed five homers in the 2022 playoffs.
Harrison Bader. Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images.The 31-year-old has bounced around quite a bit throughout his big-league career, playing for six different teams. He most recently split the 2025 campaign between the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies, slashing .277/.347/.449 with 17 long balls and 54 RBI across 501 trips to the dish.
A lifetime .247/.313/.401 hitter, Bader's bat has always been inconsistent, but one area in which he has routinely been tremendous is the field.
Bader won a Gold Glove with the St. Louis Cardinals back in 2021 and posted a plus-13 DRS and plus-6 OAA this past season.
The biggest problem with Bader (other than his shaky offense) has been his inability to stay healthy, as he has dealt with injury issues throughout a sizeable portion of his first nine major-league campaigns (although he played 143 and 146 games the last two seasons, respectively).
Heading into the offseason, the prevailing thought was that Bader could land around $15 million annually on a three-year deal, and if that's accurate, then he may prove to be a bit too pricey for the Yankees.
Bader would be a very risky pickup regardless, so New York would probably be better off searching elsewhere for outfield assistance.
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