By Shaun McAvoyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Philadelphia Phillies made a great trade at the deadline this season, bringing in veteran outfielder Harrison Bader.
After being traded to the Phillies, Bader slashed .305/.361/.463 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. Bader, also an elite defensive outfielder who is a former Gold Glove award winner, enjoyed the best offensive season of his career at the perfect time and is set to cash in this offseason.
Just Baseball's Ryan Finkelstein projects that the Phillies will re-sign Bader to a two-year contract worth roughly $30 million this offseason.
..."This will be Harrison Bader’s third chance to take a bite out of the free agent apple, and his value has never been higher," Finkelstein wrote Thursday. "Offensively, Bader enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025. Considering Trent Grisham’s defensive regression in 2025, you can make a case that Bader is the best center fielder on the market.
"Still, Bader should be able to get a multi-year deal in free agency for the first time, and if he took a lesser AAV, he might even be able to find a landing spot that would sign him on a three or four-year deal. For our purposes, I went with a two-year pact that pays Bader $15 million per season. A big raise on the $6.25 million he made in 2025. When it comes to the landing spot, the Phillies were a match made in heaven for Bader after a mid-season trade, and the two sides could easily get together on a new deal."
The Phillies have other top free agents to prioritize this offseason, like Kyle Schwarber, but after trading for Bader at the trade deadline, it would not be surprising to see Philadelphia pursue a reunion in free agency.
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