The Kansas City Royals need outfield help this offseason, and an MLB insider has them linked to a veteran journeyman. Jon Heyman has reported that the team is "considering Harrison Bader." The Royals need right-handed bats as they are lefty-loaded, especially in the bottom half of the batting order. Bader has played for seven teams over his nine-year career and has been a popular trade asset, being dealt at the deadline in three of the last four seasons.
He had a bounce-back season last year while playing for the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies. He had a.796 OPS with 17 home runs, 61 runs, 54 RBIs, a 122 wRC+ over 501 plate appearances. Each stat except OPS was a career high. He has an issue striking out, with a 27 percent strikeout rate; however, he had a.359 BABIP (batting average on balls in play), another career high.
Bader was exceptional on defense, as well, with 13 DRS (defensive runs saved), while playing all three outfield positions. Bader is an upgrade from John Rave and Kyle Isbel, who are slotted in the outfield at the moment. They are both decent on defense, with Rave at 4 DRS and Isbel at 9, but they struggled offensively, with OPS marks under.660 last season and wRC+ figures under 80.
Veteran leadership will be a boost in the locker room, as Salvador Perez is the only offensive starter over 30. Bader also brings six seasons of postseason experience to a team that has postseason aspirations after a trip in 2024. That was their first trip since 2015, when they won the World Series over the New York Mets.
Bader is a popular name in free agency, as multiple teams have been linked to the veteran. He's projected to earn $10-$15 million annually, so while he won't come cheap for the small-market Royals, he could be a perfect answer to multiple needs on the depth chart.