The Phillies on Thursday traded for Minnesota Twins outfielder Harrison Bader, league sources confirmed to The Athletic. The Phillies are sending outfielder Hendry Mendez and righty Geremy Villoria to the Twins, according to league sources.
A February signee for a modest $6.25 million, Bader has exceeded expectations this season. Largely brought in as a defensive specialist, the 2021 Gold Glove winner is having his best offensive season since 2021. An inconsistent bat the past three seasons, Bader is hitting for power (.439 slugging percentage with 12 homers) and getting on base (33.9 percent of the time) more than he has since his St. Louis days.
Defensively, Bader is a wizard, providing dynamite defense in left and center field. Even though he’s 31, Bader isn’t slowing down. He’s produced eight defensive runs saved in left field and three in center in about a third of the time.
A bit of a hired gun, Bader is playing for his sixth team since 2022, including making stops with both New York clubs. While the bulk of his postseason success occurred in 2022 when he hit five homers for the Yankees, Bader has an .809 OPS in 72 playoff plate appearances.
(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)
Source link
