Phillies acquire outfielder Harrison Bader from the Twins: ‘He’s going to play a lot’

In 2023, the Phillies looked into trading for Harrison Bader at the deadline but passed on him and other outfielders.

Two years later, they circled back.

With five hours to spare before Thursday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline and the market lacking in right-handed-hitting outfielders, the Phillies scooped up Bader from the Twins for minor league outfielder Hendry Mendez and pitcher Geremy Villoria. It marked the second swap in as many days with Minnesota, following Wednesday night’s blockbuster for closer Jhoan Duran.

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It’s unclear how Bader will fit into the outfield mix, with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski deferring to manager Rob Thomson on whether the 31-year-old will play center field or left, every day or in a timeshare with lefty-hitting Brandon Marsh and/or Max Kepler.

“I mean, he’s going to play a lot,” Dombrowski said on a conference call. “The lineup will be Topper’s decision. He’s played well this year, offensively and defensively. We think he helps us. But I’m not sure if he’s going to play every single day or not. We’re just very happy to have him.”

Bader is batting .258 with 12 homers and a .778 OPS in 307 plate appearances this season. He’s known primarily for his defense and won a Gold Glove in 2021. He has 13 defensive runs saved this season, according to Sports Info Solutions. As a team, the Phillies rank 27th in baseball with minus-28 defensive runs saved.

Dombrowski said Bader’s name came up briefly Wednesday in the Duran talks. But the Twins, who traded 10 players from their major league roster at the deadline, preferred to deal Bader separately.

The Phillies eyed several outfielders, mostly right-handed hitters. Few actually moved. The Orioles dealt Cedric Mullins to the Mets and Ramón Laureano to the Padres. But the Guardians didn’t trade Steven Kwan; the White Sox held on to Luis Robert Jr.

“It really wasn’t very robust,” Dombrowski said of the outfield market. “There really weren’t very many right-handed hitting outfielders out there. There were some left-handed guys. But there weren’t as many [from the right side].”

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And after trading two of the top six players in their farm system — right-hander Mick Abel and teenage catcher Eduardo Tait — for Duran, the Phillies opted for a lower prospect cost to land Bader.

The Phillies will need to make moves Friday to get Duran and Bader on the active roster. Bader’s arrival likely will impact Johan Rojas, a right-hitting center fielder known for his defense. Rojas has minor league options and can go to triple A.

It’s possible that 21-year-old prospect Justin Crawford gets called up. Crawford is batting .325 and reaching base at a .411 clip in triple A. Dombrowski said recently that the Phillies have discussed a promotion for Crawford but decided to wait until they could guarantee he would play every day.

Maybe the passing of the trade deadline will provide clarity, although it doesn’t sound like a call-up for Crawford is imminent.

“We could bring him up,” Dombrowski said. “If we do bring him up, he needs to play a lot. I’m not sure that we’re in a position to do that at this point today. But he’s not somebody that we would hesitate to bring up if we decide that’s the right thing to do.”

Interestingly, the Twins signed Bader to a one-year, $6.25 million contract after Kepler left them in free agency for a $10 million deal with the Phillies. Bader wasn’t signed as an everyday outfielder but played his way into the role.

Kepler, meanwhile, is batting .203 with 11 homers and a .655 OPS.

Moving Kepler would open a spot for Crawford.

“He’s playing in left field for us at this time,” Dombrowski said of Kepler. “He’s actually been swinging the bat a little bit better, particularly vs. right-handed pitching. But he’s part of our roster at this time.”

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Bader’s contract is guaranteed only through the end of the season. He has a $10 million mutual option for 2026 — or a $1.5 million buyout that can rise based on how many plate appearances he gets this season.

The Phillies will be Bader’s fifth team since the middle of 2022. He got traded to the Yankees at the 2022 deadline and went 10-for-30 with five homers in nine postseason games.

Mendez, 21, batted .290 with a .374 on-base percentage and eight homers in 85 games for double-A Reading. He was the Phillies’ 17th-best prospect, according to Baseball America.

Villoria was pitching at the Phillies’ academy in the Dominican Republic after signing with them in last year’s amateur class.

The Phillies completed a last-minute trade for right-hander Matt Manning, a former first-round pick of the Tigers who was beset by injuries. Manning, 27, was added to the 40-man roster and optioned to low-A Clearwater. … To add Bader to the 40-man roster, the Phillies designated right-hander Brett de Geus for assignment. … Aaron Nola (rib) had his triple-A start rained out in Worcester, Mass. He will pitch Friday instead. … Ranger Suárez (8-4, 2.59 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday night against Tigers righty Jack Flaherty (6-10, 4.51).