Phillies Stay or Go: Harrison Bader

The Phillies’ regular-season success really took off after the trade deadline, and a large part of that is thanks to Harrison Bader.

Bader was only a Phillie for 50 games, but what he did over that time frame was superlative.

After being sent over by the Twins, Bader hit for an average of .305, posting a .365 on-base percentage, a .463 slugging, and a .824 OPS along with 17 extra base hits and 16 RBI. Not only this, but he became a lockdown defensive center fielder, something the Phillies have been in immense need of for years. And when Trea Turner was out of the lineup for nearly a month with a hamstring strain, Bader stepped up big, hitting extremely well while taking over leadoff duties.

Bader had a $10 million mutual option in front of him. The Phillies opted in, but Bader declined, and on Tuesday, it was announced that he will become a free agent. The Phils, still, will seek to bring him back.

Bader brings a lot of value that this team is going to need in 2026, and I think the No. 1 thing he brings is his glove.

Bader is a Gold Glove centerfielder, and he brought that to the Phillies, an organization that has dismissed defense for offense over the last few years. Bader recorded seven outs above average, which was in the 92nd percentile, and was in the 84th percentile in arm strength. Bader demonstrated how valuable it can be to have a hitter who produces at the plate and is also a lockdown guy on the field.

When he suffered a left groin injury in Game 1 of the NLDS and did not return to the field in the series, you could see the major defensive drop in the outfield. Brandon Marsh missed a couple of balls in center, and your corner outfielders were Max Kepler and Nick Castellanos. What else has to be said about those two?

The Phillies are also very short in the right-handed hitters department, especially if they move on from Castellanos this offseason. Bader, a righty, becomes valuable as the Phillies’ outfield and their best hitters could all be lefties next season.

“I think he made some adjustments prior to this year, and that gave him a better offensive year,” Rob Thomson said at the end-of-year press conference. “I’m banking on him continuing to maintain or even get better.”

Bader definitely passes the eye test. He can do a little bit of everything, he plays hard-nose baseball, and he brings excellent vibes. However, the 31-year-old track record is not impressive.

Bader has never hit more than 17 homers or 55 RBI. He is a career .247 hitter, and 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 third of a season in Philadelphia may have been an anomaly.

And he is 31 on an already old team looking to get younger.

With all of that…

FINAL VERDICT: STAY

Bader’s spot could be upgradable either via trade or in the free agent market. However, I think Bader did enough to earn a projected deal of something in the ballpark of two years for $20 million.

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