A Generational Mistake

by Paul Semendinger

October 12, 2023

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I wrote it a lot at the time, and many times since. The Yankees passing on Bryce Harper was a decision that will cost them forever. It was a generational mistake. It was one of the biggest mistakes that the Yankees, as a franchise, ever made.

Bryce Harper would have owned New York. He would have been this generation's Reggie Jackson. He was the one piece that would have made a huge difference.

He was the right player for the right team at the right time. At the exact moment when the Yankees should have gone big, they went small, and they have never recovered.

Just think of the players the Yankees have tried in the outfield as they have attempted to find a player to fill the void that Bryce Harper would have filled. The following players have all appeared as outfielder for the Yankees since 2019 when they did not even make an offer to Bryce Harper to play alongside Aaron Judge and bat in between Judge and Stanton in the lineup:

• Brett Gardner

• Aaron Hicks

• Mike Tauchman

• Cameron Maybin

• Clint Frazier

• Tyler Wade

• Thairo Estrada

• Gio Urshela

• Miguel Andujar

• Estevan Florial

• Greg Allen

• Joey Gallo

• Ryan LaMarre

• Trey Amburgey

• Hoy Park

• Andrew Benintendi

• Marwin Gonzalez

• Oswaldo Cabrera

• Tim Locastro

• Matt Carpenter

• Isiah Kiner-Falefa

• Jake Bauers

• Billy McKinney

• Franchy Cordero

• Willie Calhoun

• Harrison Bader

• Everson Pereira

• Jasson Dominguez

Think, also, of the players the Yankees had to trade away to acquire some of those players. Amazing.

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Bryce Harper could have been doing the following in pinstripes: