Phillies Offseason Stay or Go: Harrison Bader

When the Phillies first traded for Harrison Bader, the news was met with general apathy. Phillies fans wanted a big upgrade in the lineup, and it felt like a small move at the time. But he quickly played his way into being a fan favorite. His timely hits, great play in the field, and general positive attitude seemed to re-energize the Phillies clubhouse and won over a fan base that was beginning to lose hope.

The Phillies' lineup lost all that momentum in the playoffs. But since an injury kept him out of the starting lineup for 3 of the 4 games, he managed to avoid any blame. In fact, he still managed to come up in a big moment with a pinch hit.

Now he goes into the off-season with a player option, which he is expected to decline and seek a raise. Will that raise come with the Phillies, or will he end up playing for his 7th team since 2022?

Let's start with the reason why Phillies fans fell in love with him. In 50 games he had a shiny slash line of .305/.361/.463/.824. He also hit 11 doubles, 5 HRs, and drove in 16 runs in that time. It is a small sample size, but he was a dynamic player. Both at the plate, and with a glove.

In fact, even with no Zack Wheeler and no Trea Turner for much of that time since August 1st, Bader's great play helped the Phillies to the best record in the MLB post-trade deadline. And it was not until he was out of the lineup in the playoffs that they started to look average.

So is Bader the key to the Phillies lineup? Is he the long-awaited answer in centerfield? A look at his career numbers suggests we might be overrating him for 50 great games.

Harrison Bader played like a star in Red Pinstripes. But that is 50 games out of a career where he has played 924 games. And when you look at those other 874 games, you do not see the high-impact player the Phillies witnessed. You see a guy whose bat is closer to average than great.

His stint with the Phillies is by far the best stint. It is the only time in his career he had an OPS over .800, and only the 2nd time he had a SLG over .450.

What Bader is is a solid player. But there is a reason he has bounced between so many teams. He is never a team's priority in any off-season. He is the guy who rounds out the lineup, not the guy you build it around.

His career numbers are average. He has a great glove and a fine bat. Sometimes, that bat looks great. But it is hard to find any other stretch where it looked as good as it did with the Phillies. So the question becomes, did Bader just figure something out at 31 years old, or was he just on a hot streak?

None of this is to say let him walk. He is a player with value, he is a great clubhouse figure, and the glove is elite. But the Phillies can't overvalue him.

Dave Dombrowski has some tough decisions to make. This lineup needs upgrades, but they do not have a lot of money to spend to do so. Bader would make $10 million on the option, but if he opts out of that, it means he wants more money than that, and more years.

Dombrowski said that they will not be able to retain all of their free agents. Ranger Suarez is one everyone expects to be gone. But after him, Bader feels like the next most likely. It will depend on what other teams offer him. If it stays around that $10 million number, maybe he is back. They need the outfield help, and he might be their best option even if you factor in the likely regression. But the more expensive he gets, the more attractive other options will become.

We know Justin Crawford will take one of the 3 OF spots. Nick Castellanos is likely gone, leaving them looking for a RF. Brandon Marsh is still around, but at this point, it is clear he is not an everyday player. All of that leaves Bader as the only righty left in the OF barring an outside addition. If they do move on, it would need to be because they found another righty OF who is a better deal.

There is good reason to bring him back. But it needs to be at the right price. If they do let him walk, it needs to be because they brought in a better Righty bat.

Verdict: Stay, But Only At The Right Price