Yankees OF reveals wild way he found out he was waived

It sounds like Bader was blindsided by the move but is taking the news the best way possible.

According to a report by Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, if a team claims the 2021 Gold Glove Award winner before midnight on Aug. 31, he'll become postseason-eligible for the new club. Furthermore, New York will save just under $1M if Bader is claimed by another team.

Per Spotrac, the 29-year-old is in the final year of a two-year, $10.4M contract.

After being selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft and spending the first five plus-seasons of his career with the organization, Bader was traded to the Bronx in August 2022 in exchange for southpaw starter Jordan Montgomery. While Bader is typically known more for his defense and speed on the bases, he stepped up with his bat during the Yankees' run to the ALCS last year.

Over nine playoff games in the fall, the University of Florida product went 10-for-30 with five home runs, six RBIs and eight runs scored.

With teams always in need of late-game defensive replacements and pinch-runners, Bader could certainly find himself on a playoff contender in the next 24 hours.