Copyright Essentially Sports
The Philadelphia Phillies entered the offseason with a bitter taste. Their World Series dreams were crushed again when they lost in the NLDS to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the team faces a busy winter of impending change. And the first big domino just fell when Outfielder Harrison Bader officially declined his $10 million mutual option for 2026. This move was expected, but what came next hit the fans hard. The fan-favorite outfielder just posted a very touching message on Instagram. The post featured photos and videos of his short time with the team, and a heartfelt caption that reads like a final goodbye to the city of Philadelphia. The Phillies acquired Bader on July 31, 2025, from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline. He was brought in to solidify a struggling outfield. And in his 50 games with Philadelphia, where he hit .305 with five homers and an .824 OPS, Bader immediately brought that. It was all during that “Two and a half months” period. The 31-year-old finished 2025 with a .277 average, 17 home runs, and 3.2 WAR, and his elite defense added +7 Outs Above Average. But the “not nearly enough” line hits hard. It points to the team’s frustrating playoff exit. Bader’s own season ended in the worst possible way when he suffered a left hamstring strain in Game 1 of the NLDS that kept him out of the final three games. He could only appear as a pinch-hitter. “Bader got hurt at the worst time he possibly could, right?” Team president Dave Dombrowski said. “If he hadn’t gotten hurt, would it have changed the series? I don’t know. I wish we had had a chance to try that.” That “what if” hangs over the whole city. But the baseball offseason is all about the business. Bader’s emotional post came right after declining the $10 million player option that was a no-brainer. The last time a player agreed to such a contract was when Aramis Ramirez exercised a mutual option and stayed with the Brewers in 2014. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Bader, who is walking away with his $3 million buyout, is now one of the hottest outfielders on the market. So, where can Harrison Bader land next? The former Gold Glove is arguably the “only true plus defensive center fielder” available this winter. So, any team that signs Bader knows the main selling point. Bader’s 2025 offense was also incredible. But wait! It doesn’t tell the whole story. Bader had a .359 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) this season. That number is exceptionally high. It is far above his .305 career average and the .291 league average last season. This suggests he was fortunate. And the teams will be wary of his numbers from 2022-2024. In those years, he hit just .239 with a poor.644 OPS. The only great news for Bader was that the market for center fielders is incredibly weak. Several teams like the Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Angels, and San Francisco Giants badly need outfield help. The Tampa Bay Rays were also named as a team that should pursue him. Bader’s exit leaves a big hole in the already precarious Phillies’ roster. Fellow outfielder Max Kepler is also a free agent. This makes the outfield a pressing priority for Dombrowski. The Phillies have a few internal options. Brandon Marsh can handle center field. But the team might prefer him in a corner spot. Top prospect Justin Crawford is on the horizon. However, the team may feel he is not quite ready for the full-time role, and Bader could be the perfect bridge.
