During the transaction sending Jordan Montgomery to St. Louis in return for outfielder Harrison Bader, several Yankees fans cried foul.
I was not one of them and I have to admit that it was a great pact for the New York Yankees.
The Bronxville native has quickly become a New York crowd favorite.
And for good reason. With the excellent center fielder in the starting lineup, the Bronx Bombers have a record of 36 wins against only 16 losses.
The 29-year-old was expected to be disconcertingly consistent defensively. But his production in attack adds to all the importance he can have within this team.
With key players like DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton struggling in all sorts of ways and with the prolonged absence of captain Aaron Judge, it’s Bader’s offensive production that has helped the team keep their heads above water .
If Bader can continue to produce at his current level, the Yankees should stay in playoff contention by the time Judge returns to play.
It’s true that Bader is struggling to stay healthy, but he’s too important in an outfield that’s sorely lacking in depth for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman not to put him under a long-term contract, he who will become free as air at the end of this campaign.
