Harrison Bader was only a Phillie for 50 games — but he made quite the impression.
Acquired at the trade deadline for some lesser known prospects, Bader made a big splash as he was red hot during his two month stint in Philadelphia.
The veteran and native New Yorker is looking at a $10 million mutual option. Bader can choose to become a free agent, and if he thinks he can make more money or sign a longer term contract, he should.
The Phillies are probably interested in exercising their side of the mutual option, but should they be? Or if he does hit the open market, should the Phillies still be interested?
Why he should stay
His defense
Bader is a Gold Glove centerfielder and he played that way in Citizens Bank Park, flexing as the best defensive outfielder on the team this fall. The Phils have sacrificed defense for offense over the last four years, but it just shows how valuable it can be to have a hitter producing at the plate who is also a lock down guy on the field. If the Phillies think they can get more two-way performances like his 2025 season they should certainly try and retain him.
He's a righty
If the Phillies move on from Nick Castellanos but keep Bader, they have a potential outfield next season of Bader in center, Brandon Marsh in right (lefty) and Justin Crawford in left (lefty). DH Kyle Schwarber can play a little corner outfield, and he's a lefty too. Don't forget Bryce Harper, who is a full time first baseman but was a career outfielder until a few seasons ago — he hits left-handed. The Phillies outfield and their best hitters are all lefties — so Bader's bat being on the right makes him that much more valuable to the lineup.
The vibes are strong
Bader was scorching hot over his 50 games with Philadelphia, slashing .305/.361/.463. He was also an excellent leadoff hitter with Trea Turner on the shelf for about a month toward the end of the season. Those are really good numbers, and mix in a little pop — he had five homers in Philly and a career high 17 of them with 54 RBI between Philly and Minnesota in 2025 — and you have the kind of well-rounded hitter the Phillies need. He's also a grizzled postseason veteran, having played in 38 total playoff games.
- Phillies stay or go series
- Rob Thomson | Dave Dombrowski | Kyle Schwarber | Ranger Suárez | J.T. Realmuto | Nick Castellanos | Harrison Bader | Alec Bohm | Max Kepler | Walker Buehler | Taijuan Walker | Jordan Romano, David Robertson, José Alvarado | Rafael Marchán, Weston Wilson, Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp
Why he should go:
He might be expensive
The Phillies are going to have to pay a lot to keep free agents Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suárez. They also could be swallowing $20 million, or close to it, to send Castellanos walking. Which means that by the time they get to Bader, they might not want to pay the outfielder the $10-plus million multi-year deal he'll be looking for.
He's already 31
It seems likely that Philadelphia will be the oldest team in baseball next season. Would they really want to bring back another over 30 player with a track record of injury for multiple seasons? There will be cheaper as well as younger options on the free agent market.
His track record isn't that impressive
Bader was epically good during his third of a season with the Phillies, but the larger story from Bader's career paints the picture of a less consistent and lower ceiling sort of hitter. As we mentioned, he's never hit more than 17 homers or 55 RBI. He is a career .247 hitter and just one year ago, in 2024, he hit .236 over 143 games for the Mets. In nine MLB seasons, Bader has only been above average as a hitter in three of them. His spot could be one that is upgradable via free agency or trade.
What do you think?
SIGN UP HERE to receive the PhillyVoice Sports newsletter
Follow Evan on Twitter:@evan_macy
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports