Mets make Harrison Bader contract official, also claim Diego Castillo off waivers
The Yankees' Harrison Bader gestures to teammates after he advances to second base on a throwing error by the Mets' Mark Vientos during the fourth inning of a game on July 26, 2023, at Yankee Stadium. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
The Mets made it official on Friday, announcing the signing of former Yankees centerfielder Harrison Bader to a one-year, $10.5-million contract.
“We’re very happy to add Harrison to our team,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said in a statement. “He has continually distinguished himself as one of the best defenders in baseball and can help us win games in a variety of different ways. He’s a native New Yorker who knows what baseball means to this city and our fan base.”
Bader, 29, is from Bronxville. He played for the Yankees for parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Bader was teammates with Pete Alonso at the University of Florida. Alonso welcomed Bader to Flushing on Thursday — when news of the signing first broke— with a joyous social media post.
Earlier in the day, the Mets continued to add depth as they claimed infielder Diego Castillo off waivers from Arizona.
Castillo, 26, appeared in one game for the Diamondbacks last season.
Diego Castillo at Arizona Diamondbacks photo day in 2023. Credit: Getty Images
In 2022, the righthanded batter played in 96 games for Pittsburgh and hit .206 with 11 home runs and a .633 OPS.
Primarily a shortstop, Castillo also has played all the other infield positions and rightfield in the majors. He also pitched twice for the Pirates in 2022.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
