Sep 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader (2) reacts while running to first base for a single against the Kansas City Royals during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher
LOS ANGELES — No matter how the offseason plays out for Harrison Bader, he'll likely be in a good situation following a career-year in 2025.
The Phillies acquired Bader from the Minnesota Twins prior to the trade deadline, and the veteran not only provided a solution for the team in center field, but he added a much-needed spark to a group that had largely remained the same for the past few seasons.
In addition to Bader playing his typically-excellent center field, but he hit .305 with an .824 OPS after being acquired by the Phillies. According to FanGraphs, the 3.2 WAR that Bader posted between the Twins and Phillies in 2025 was his highest single-season mark since finishing 2018 with at 3.7.
Following the crushing defeat in four games at the hands of the Dodgers in the NLDS, Bader reflected on his brief, but memorable time with the Phillies in 2025.
"It really just was an absolute pleasure getting dealt here and just getting an opportunity to not only play alongside so many players I've respected for a long time, but also just in front of an incredible fanbase," Bader said. "They really gave us a lot of support down the stretch, and something that I miss very much [not] playing.
"It really was just was an absolute pleasure."
Unfortunately for Bader and the Phillies, his momentum was halted in NLDS Game 1 when he had to be removed from the game with a left hamstring injury. He appeared in Games 2 and 4 as a pinch hitter, but wasn't able to play the outfield.
Bader said after Game 4 that while he couldn't guarantee anything, "there was certainly a chance" that he could have returned to the outfield if there had been a win-or-go-home Game 5 on Saturday. That's not how things played out.
"And obviously, down the stretch, it's just funny, you play 162 games and you're healthy for every single one and one tiny little thing kinda ... I wouldn't say derails that, but makes it a bit more challenging.
"You know, not the most favorable outcome, but with that said, even with an unfavorable outcome like we had, just coming to work every single day and getting a chance to play the game I love to play alongside just a truly professional group top to bottom ... whether it's front-office personnel, coaching staff, players ... it's really hard to have a bad day when you get to go to work with those types of human beings."
Harrison Bader to @TyDaubert on his time with the Phillies and future as he heads to free agency
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/8ZMm3bJoUE
The 31-year-old outfielder will now have to decide how to proceed with his future. Bader's first decision will be whether to decline his half of a $10 million mutual option for 2026. Declining it seems like it will be a no-brainer from a business perspective for Bader. First of all, if either he or the Phillies decline it, Bader will be paid a $3 million buyout. Secondly, he figures to get at least $10 million on the open market for 2026, along with more than one season of certainty on a multi-year contract.
So while the Phillies would probably be thrilled to have Bader back for $10 million next season, this likely won't be the rare mutual option that both sides pick up.
With that said, Bader did seem open to returning to the Phillies if that opportunity presents itself.
"Yeah, absolutely," Bader said. "I've said this a lot — I think winning baseball and winning culture and wanting to win I think is a universal language. And I don't think the uniform really kinda defines that. I think being dealt into a clubhouse where a lot of guys, if you will, speak that same language, I think it was very easy for me to fit in."
You can take away a couple things from that answer. Yes, Bader is willing, in the right situation, to remain with the Phillies, a team he clearly enjoyed playing with. But at the same time, there seems to be a recognition that he might be something of a mercenary. This was Bader's ninth season, and in addition to the Phillies, he's had stints with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Twins.
Here's what Nick Castellanos had to say about whether he wants to remain with Phillies
— Tim Kelly (@timkellysports.bsky.social) October 11, 2025 at 2:35 PM
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From the Phillies perspective, there will be a lot of moving parts that determine whether or not Bader is back. Will Nick Castellanos want to be back in 2026? After a brutal NLDS, do the Phillies think that things have run their course with Brandon Marsh? When will Justin Crawford be ready to play on a full-time basis, and do the Phillies envision him as more of a center fielder or left fielder? Do the Phillies think Bader can put up similar offensive production moving forward, and how to they feel about his durability? Would the Phillies be willing to go to three years if that's what it takes to sign Bader on the open market?
There are a lot of questions that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski needs to answer in plotting the future of Bader and the Phillies, most of which are out of the outfielder's control.
No matter what the future holds, Bader enjoyed rocking red pinstripes.
"I'm just really grateful for everybody and I was just really, really excited to play here," Bader said. "So, obviously not what we wanted, but there's always a next opportunity, so I'm just focused on that."
