The Philadelphia Phillies are in need of upgrades in the outfield. They could go after an under-the-radar option on the Minnesota Twins to replace one of their current options.
Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler and Johan Rojas have underachieved this season. Only Castellanos has an OPS+ of over 100, and even he has a negative WAR. The Phillies could go after a bigger name like Jarren Duran or Steven Kwan, but Sports Illustrated's Will Laws and Nick Selbe predicted they would land Harrison Bader.
"Bader has been a boon for the Twins after signing a one-year, $6.25 million contract this winter," Sports Illustrated wrote. "Though he’s spent most of his time in left field, he still provides elite defense in center and is putting up a full-season career-best 113 wRC+. He’ll be a rental for whoever acquires him, but should still command a decent price as a starting-caliber center fielder."
Bader has a .251/.330/.435 slash line this season. He would not only upgrade the Phillies' offense, but he also plays great defense. He won a Gold Glove Award with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021.
He has bounced around the league in the last few seasons. He has played for the Cardinals, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets in recent years.
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He is not going to cost the Phillies too much, and he could potentially be an answer next season as well. He has a $10 million mutual option for next year. However, if the focus is just this year, he would be a great option to help the Phillies win the National League East and make a deep run.
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