Phillies ‘can’t be ruled out’ of reunion with recent fan-favorite who is now a free agent

Jon Conahan

Phillies ‘can’t be ruled out’ of reunion with recent fan-favorite who is now a free agent image

The Philadelphia Phillies still don’t seem great on paper, but they might not be done adding to their outfield this offseason, as a familiar name could still be in play.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, a reunion with Harrison Bader can’t be ruled out, even if it remains unlikely at this stage of the offseason

The Phillies have explored multiple ways to improve their outfield depth, and while they’ve done so with Adolis Garcia and Justin Crawford expected to debut, there’s still room for another right-handed bat and defensive option.

“Bader is the best outfielder left on the market, and a number of teams including the Mets, Diamondbacks and Cardinals need more help in that area,” Feinsand wrote. “A reunion with the Phillies can’t be ruled out, though that seems like a long shot at this point.”

Bader spent time with Philadelphia previously and was seemingly loved by the organization after a decent second-half in 2025. He’s not the best offensive player, but it isn’t like there’s a surplus of elite hitters remaining for the Phillies to pursue.

From the Phillies’ perspective, the idea would be centered around depth and flexibility rather than an everyday role. 

It remains uncertain when he’ll sign, but there’s reason to believe it could happen in the next few days, given we’ve seen the free agency board start to take shape.

The Phillies seem content with what they have, so that’s a factor to consider here.

More Phillies news: