ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Harrison Bader has spent the past year getting to play in his backyard, but his future with the Yankees beyond the next month-plus is uncertain.
With the playoffs getting further and further out of reach, the Yankees’ season likely only has five more weeks left.
After that, Bader will become a free agent for the first time in his career.
The Bronxville native has lived up to his defensive reputation (his calling card when he arrived in a trade from the Cardinals last year), providing the Yankees a steady presence in center field when he has been healthy.
But multiple injuries and inconsistent offensive production have made it questionable whether the Yankees will invest the money to bring Bader back next year.
“I feel like there are a lot of people that play a role in that decision, on both sides,” Bader said Friday before he sat out the game at Tropicana Field until coming in as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 6-2 win over the Rays. “At the end of the day, I want to be on a winning baseball team. … I play this game to win and I play this game to play at a high level.
“Obviously this organization has been doing it for years and years. I’m surrounded by really good players and it would be amazing to come back here. But if that’s not the case for whatever reason, then so be it. But I just take advantage of the opportunity here and now, in this uniform.
“We’ll just let the chips fall where they do.”
Manager Aaron Boone said Bader has “been grinding” lately.
He is batting .249 with a .668 OPS in 78 games this season, slightly above his career average (.246) and below his career OPS (.715).
The power that Bader teased in the playoffs last October also has gone missing.
In the 40 games since he last homered, Bader was hitting just .237 with a .577 OPS and 36 strikeouts.
“At the end of the day, it is a results-based world and I do realize my offensive numbers are not where they need to be,” Bader said. “But moving forward down the stretch here, I just want to be what I can offensively for this team to put us in position to help win games. That’s really my entire focus.”
If the Yankees decide not to bring Bader back, the free-agent market is not exactly brimming with alternatives.
The left-handed hitting Cody Bellinger is expected to be the big fish after he resurrected his career this season with the Cubs.
Beyond that, there is the potential of landing Korean star Jung Hoo Lee, who is expected to be posted this offseason, or a pair of defense-minded veterans, Kevin Kiermaier and Michael A. Taylor.
Internally, the Yankees could look to a pair of outfield prospects: Everson Pereira and Jasson Dominguez.
But the 20-year-old Dominguez just got to Triple-A while Pereira, who was called up to make his MLB debut on Tuesday, has played only left field with the Yankees.
On Friday, Boone opted to start utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa in center field instead of Pereira, who remained in left.
The 22-year-old Pereira spent time in all three outfield spots in the minors, and Boone said he would not hesitate to use him in center if need be.
But his future may be in a corner outfield spot.
“I know he’s played all three and he’s very much held his own in all three and he’s athletic enough to handle all of them, he’s got arm strength,” Boone said.
“So maybe long-term, he’s probably in a corner. But it’s probably not fair to totally rule out center field either.”
Bader insisted his focus remains on the day-to-day of this season instead of his looming free agency.
“I’m obviously aware of the situation, but I’m so zoomed in on just making sure I give this my absolute best, as I do every single season, regardless of what the offseason might bring,” Bader said.
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