Center field has been a need for the Philadelphia Phillies for far too long.
Whether it's been Johan Rojas or Brandon Marsh, the Phillies haven't gotten the right combination of offensive and defensive production from the center field position since the start of 2024.
It's the biggest hole in an otherwise stacked lineup, and it could be their Achilles' heel in a tight pennant race.
One ex-big leaguer (who spent some time with the Phillies) has a solution that involves a trade for a former Gold Glover currently playing with the Minnesota Twins.
During the most recent episode of the "Talkin' Baseball" podcast, Jomboy Media's Trevor Plouffe predicted that the Phillies would acquire Harrison Bader from the Twins in a trade ahead of the Jul. 31 deadline.
"I'm going to put him on the Phillies," Plouffe said. "He can still play a very good defensive center field, and he's been raking as of late. He's got postseason pedigree, and you know the swag there. He fits the Phillies. I think he'd eat up playing in that atmosphere."
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Bader won his Gold Glove with the St. Louis Cardinals back in 2021, but he plays good enough defense to be in contention for the award every year if he plays enough. This year, he's mostly played left in deference to Byron Buxton in Minnesota, but he can still go get it in center with the best of them.
The offense has been a pleasant surprise, though, as Bader owns a 109 OPS+ and 11 home runs in 84 games. Only Nick Castellanos has a positive OPS+ among Phillies outfielders.
It will be intriguing to see if the Phillies are thinking along the same lines as Plouffe, whether that means acquiring Bader or another center fielder on a cheap contract.
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