Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Harrison Bader

During his mid-twenties, Harrison Bader was a borderline All-Star-caliber player. From 2018-21, he combined a league-average bat, elite speed, and terrific defense to produce 9.2 FanGraphs WAR in 419 games. That’s a rate of 3.6 fWAR per 162 contests.

In the three seasons since, Bader hasn’t been nearly as productive. He remains a quick runner and a top-tier defensive outfielder, but his offense has been well below average. From 2022-24, he slashed .239/.284/.360 with a 4.8% walk rate and a 79 wRC+.

Accordingly, he has come up with just 3.7 fWAR in 327 games, or 1.8 fWAR per 162. That level of production isn’t without value, but it means he’s more of a second-division starter than a potential All-Star.

When the Mets signed Bader to a one-year, $10.5 million contract last offseason, they were probably hoping he could rediscover the offensive talents that made him such a promising player in his early years with the Cardinals. It wasn’t a bad idea.

After all, he was only two years removed from a 3.0 fWAR season, and numerous injuries had kept him from gaining much momentum in 2022 and ’23. He spent over than 10 weeks on the IL in both years.

If he could only stay on the field all season in 2024, perhaps he could return to form.

Not so much.

On the bright side, Bader avoided the IL for the first time in a full season since 2018. However, his offense just wasn’t good enough for a competitive team like the Mets to guarantee him everyday playing time. He started losing center field reps to Tyrone Taylor and Brandon Nimmo down the stretch.

Thus, Bader won’t be rewarded nearly as handsomely this offseason. It might also be quite a while before he signs anywhere at all.

It works in his favor that he’s the best center fielder on the free agent market. However, the fact that he’s the best center fielder available also tells us that most teams are already set at the position.

In other words, he’s the best option on the market, but it’s not clear how much of a market there really is.

Here are a few teams that might be interested in Harrison Bader’s services.

Miami Marlins

As long as they’re willing to spend even the tiniest bit this offseason, the Marlins are the best fit for Bader. According to RosterResource, their outfield currently consists of Jesús Sánchez, Kyle Stowers, and Griffin Conine, none of whom is a center fielder.

What’s more, the Marlins don’t have many more pieces on their roster left to trade next summer. If they aren’t going to be competitive in 2025, they need to make the most of this offseason to accelerate their rebuild. One way they can do that is by signing several veterans to one-year contracts in the hope of flipping them at the deadline.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy, and Alek Thomas split the center field reps for the Diamondbacks in 2024. Carroll and McCarthy are great outfielders, but they’re better suited for the corner spots. Meanwhile, the once-promising Thomas just hasn’t been able to perform at the big league level.

If the D-backs don’t re-sign Joc Pederson or Randal Grichuk, they can move Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to the DH spot and add another outfielder. And if they decide to prioritize defense over offense, Bader is as good an option as anyone.

Bader might not be an everyday player for a team as competitive as the Diamondbacks, but it’s not as if Arizona has any shortage of capable center fielders to split duties at the position. Carroll, McCarthy, and Thomas are all left-handed, which means any one of them could cover for the righty-batting Bader against a tough right-handed pitcher.

Toronto Blue Jays

In an ideal world, the Blue Jays would finally give Daulton Varsho the full-time center field job from day one – especially considering he won his first Gold Glove this fall.

Unfortunately, Varsho is likely to miss Opening Day after undergoing rotator cuff surgery in September. That means Toronto could be in the market for another center field this offseason.

Most teams in a similar position would target someone a few tiers below Bader (a reunion with Kevin Pillar, perhaps?) but GM Ross Atkins clearly likes to have the best defensive outfield possible. After the Jays signed Kevin Kiermaier to play alongside Varsho in 2023 and ’24, Bader is a perfectly logical choice for 2025.

Bader can start every day while Varsho is recovering. Once Varsho is ready to return, John Schneider will face the kind of problem every manager dreams of having: deciding which of his Gold Glove center fielders will slide over to left field.

Chicago White Sox

If the White Sox trade Luis Robert Jr. this offseason, they’ll have to fill a gaping hole in center field. And with all the money that came off their books this winter, they can certainly afford to hand out some one-year deals to veterans who will make the team slightly more watchable in 2025.

While Bader might prefer to sign with a contender, he’s actually a great fit for a basement-dweller like Chicago. His Gold Glove defense will go a long way to help out a young and inexperienced pitching staff.

Bader would also be a great piece for the White Sox to flip at the deadline. There will surely be a market for an experienced center fielder this summer once contending teams start to realize their internal options aren’t as capable as they hoped they’d be.

More Free Agency Fits for Harrison Bader

Tampa Bay Rays

After trading José Siri to the Mets, the Rays could use an established center fielder. However, it would be unlike this team to spend money on a defense-first veteran like Bader.

What’s more, the Rays have suggested they’ll run with Jonny DeLuca as their everyday center fielder in 2025. If this were almost any other team, I’d think they were just saying that to gain leverage in negotiations with free agent center fielders. But this is the Rays, so I’m inclined to take them at their word on this one.

Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland already has an established center fielder in Lane Thomas. However, Thomas is projected to earn $8.3 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility. If the Guardians want a cheaper option, they could try to trade Thomas and sign Bader to a lesser deal.