Harrison Bader becomes a free agent after declining his $10 million mutual option with Phillies
Bader, who hit .305 with five homers and an .824 OPS in 50 games with the Phillies, will join Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Ranger Suárez as the team's other prominent free agents.
Harrison Bader just had the best season of his career.
Now, he’s aiming to cash in.
Bader, the trade-deadline addition who brought energy to the Phillies’ lineup and stability to center field, declined his half of a $10 million mutual option and will be a free agent, the team announced Tuesday night.
The decision was expected. Not only are mutual options rarely exercised, but Bader is coming off a season in which he batted .277 with 17 homers and a 117 OPS-plus for the Twins and Phillies. Bader will receive a $3 million buyout, up from a base $1.5 million figure based on bonuses tied to his career-high 501 plate appearances.
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The 31-year-old hinted at his intentions after the Phillies got knocked out of the playoffs in the divisional round by the Dodgers.
“It really just was an absolute pleasure getting dealt here,” Bader said after the series, in which he was limited by a strained hamstring, adding that he enjoyed “getting a chance to play alongside just a truly professional group.”
Bader will join a free-agent outfield class that is light on right-handed hitters. Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, the best options on the market, bat from the left side.
Defense has been Bader’s calling card throughout a nine-year major league career. He won a Gold Glove in 2021 with the Cardinals and played solid in center field for the Phillies.
But by declining his half of the option, Bader is betting that teams will believe he can maintain a swing change that amplified his pull-side power this season and made him more effective against right-handed pitching. He batted .300 with an .845 OPS vs. righties, far better than his .248/.696 career marks.
When the Phillies traded for Bader, they hoped he would be a marginal upgrade in the outfield. He outpaced those expectations, batting .305 with five homers and an .824 OPS in 50 games.
» READ MORE: Where will Kyle Schwarber land? Sizing up the Phillies’ competition in the free-agent sweepstakes
“We thought he could play every day,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “Now, did we think he was going to play every day? I can’t really say that because we figured we would just play it out and see what happens. But he got off to such a quick start for us. He was driving the ball. He’d hit a little looper, and it would all be hits. For a while there, he was hotter than a firecracker."
Bader will join Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Ranger Suárez among prominent Phillies free agents. Beginning Thursday, they can negotiate with other teams.
The Phillies also have until Thursday to decide whether to pick up reliever José Alvarado’s $9 million team option. Dombrowski has said he’d “be surprised if Alvarado is not back with us,” although it’s possible the Phillies could decline the option and bring back the hard-throwing lefty at a reduced salary.