January 22, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Could a soft market for Harrison Bader help bring him back to Philly?
Finally, mercifully, the rest of MLB free agency can carry on.
Now that Kyle Tucker has fled to the Dodgers, Cody Bellinger is back with Yankees, and the Mets have traded for Luis Robert Jr., it appears the rest of free agency, especially for outfielders, can move along.
And while Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski has said he's comfortable with his outfield and content with his roster – even after striking out on Bo Bichette – there's no reason that Dombrowski can't take advantage of a bargain if one is presented.
Dombrowski was reportedly willing to spend close to $30 million annually on Bichette. After the Mets stole the star infielder at the 11th hour, the Phillies pivoted to bring back J.T. Realmuto on a three-year deal worth $15 million annually.
So the Phillies still have $15 million for this season that they were willing to spend, and they're still dead set on making sure right fielder Nick Castellanos isn't on the roster this season.
Although the Phillies already signed Adolis García to play right field, for now, they're planning to give top outfield prospect Justin Crawford a shot to win the center field job while platooning Brandon Marsh and Otto Kemp in left.
But what if old friend Harrison Bader stays on the market and doesn't get the deal he's coveting in free agency? Could that $15 million extra the Phillies were willing to spend go toward bringing back the player who sparked their offense last season after coming over in a trade with the Twins at the deadline?
MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand wrote that Bader is one of the free-agent dominoes left to fall now that Bellinger became the last marquee free-agent outfielder to sign.
In the story, Feinsand wrote that the Mets, Diamondbacks and Cardinals still need outfield help and would be logical teams to pursue Bader, and while he wrote that a reunion with the Phillies "seems like a long shot," he also wrote that "it can't be ruled out."
Hey, it makes sense. The Phils had money to spend. Bader has been on the market for a while. The cost could be lower than Dombrowski initially anticipated, and the 32-year-old Bader could prefer a return to a ready-made contender instead of going back to a rebuilding Cardinals squad – he started his career there, from 2017-2022 – that hasn't made the postseason in three straight years.
There's no guarantee that Crawford, who tore up Triple-A last season, will adjust seamlessly into the Phillies' center field role and into the lineup, and his power numbers aren't threatening. Crawford hit just 7 home runs in 506 at-bats last year for the Lehigh Valley.
Re-signing Bader, even just for one season, would put another badly needed right-handed bat in the Phillies' lineup and give Crawford the opportunity to win the left field job at camp instead of outright handing him a starting spot.
It might be a long shot, but it could be a shot worth taking if the price is right.
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