Harrison Bader spent last season dealing with all sorts of injuries, but his frustration level didn't reach its peak until he played his final game.
The former Gold Glove outfielder spent most of the season with the Yankees before being acquired on waivers by the Reds, and underwent sports hernia surgery on September 28.
The moment of reckoning has come.
“That feeling I had just walking around my apartment, getting in a cab, going down the subway stairs is something I never want to experience again,” the Mets' new acquisition said Wednesday on a Zoom introductory call. Ta. “You have extreme ownership over everything. We've had these little injuries and I'm playing in a very physical position, but there's a reason for this and obviously Something was wrong with.”
The 29-year-old Bronxville native is focusing on conditioning as he begins a $10.5 million, one-year contract with the Mets.
Last season's injury list included oblique, hamstring, rib and groin issues that limited Bader to 98 games.
Bader also battled plantar fasciitis, which limited him to 86 games with the Cardinals and Yankees in 2022.
“I’m in Tampa doing a lot of research with the right people.” [the conditioning] And I have a lot of confidence in the people I'm with,” Bader said. “Maybe it's something I wish we could have done sooner, but I'm not going to waste my time trying to turn back the clock because it's not possible.”
Bader, an elite defender, will move Brandon Nimmo to left field and play center regularly.
However, President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said it has not yet been determined whether Nimmo will play only left field or receive playing time in center field.
The Mets also added Tyron Taylor in a trade with the Brewers this offseason, a player who can play center if needed.
“I think Brandon wants to do what's best for the team, and even if that means going back to center sometimes, he's willing to accept that,” Stearns said. “If that means playing more primarily in left field, he's open to that as well. Is there an opportunity for Brandon to shift to center, or does it make sense for him to stay mostly on the left side? We're going to take a little look to see if that's true and how the roster changes. We'll continue that discussion throughout spring training.”
Stearns said Bader's playing time will depend in part on the matchup, but Bader is expected to be a “good enough” center fielder.
Bader's physical issues over the past two seasons may have had a big impact on his offensive struggles.
Last season, he hit .232/.274/.378 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs in 344 at-bats.
He will be reunited with former college teammate Pete Alonso, who was a year behind Bader at the University of Florida.
“Great energy, great presence, great big polar bear presence,” Bader said of his former Gators teammate. “If you fast forward, what he's accomplished in this league is very impressive, but it's no coincidence. I know how he talks about his craft. I know how he talks about his craft. I know what the pitcher is going to do to him, I know how he's thinking. All of these things combine to make him as good as we've seen him in his career so far. , which produces very positive results.”
Bader isn't the only former Yankees player the Mets are counting on next season.
Luis Severino, who signed a one-year deal worth $13 million with the team before the winter meetings, is also trying to stay healthy after a disappointing 2023 season in which he pitched in 19 games and posted a 6.65 ERA. There is.
Severino, who dealt with a latissimus dorsi injury last season, said he specifically consulted a sleep specialist.
“I've been a light sleeper ever since I was born,” Severino says. “We are finding ways to improve.”
