The Philadelphia Phillies weren't done after the Jhoan Durán trade, going right back to the Minnesota Twins for an upgrade in the outfield. Harrison Bader is on his way to Philadelphia, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a trade to acquire outfielder Harrison Bader from the Minnesota Twins, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
In return, Minnesota is expected to receive "two lightly regarded prospects," per USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Bader's contract expires at season's end with a mutual option worth $10 million for 2026.
The 31-year-old Bader is slashing .258/.339/.439 with 12 home runs, 38 RBI and 10 stolen bases across 271 at-bats this season. He has a 117 wRC+ and has tallied five outs above average in centerfield, putting him in the 92nd percentile for his position defensively.
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Phillies trade for Twins' Harrison Bader in effort to bolster outfield
This is a perfectly adequate addition for the Phillies. Bader is meaningfully better than Max Kepler (another fomer Twin). In fact, he's probably the best outfielder on the Phillies roster tomorrow. But it's fair to wonder if this was truly the best deal available to Dave Dombrowski.
Philadelphia's outfield depth chart is one of the worst in baseball, especially among contenders. Nick Castellanos is a disaster on defense. Brandon Marsh has recovered from a slow start to the campaign, but he can't hit lefties whatsoever. Johan Rojas is a special defender, but a total zero on offense. Kepler has been a source of all-around frustration.
Adding Bader for a modest price helps, no doubt about it. Did Philly aim high enough, though? Bader's underlying offensive analytics aren't great; he's not going to light the world ablaze at the plate. This trade has strong Austin Hays vibes. He was an upgrade, sure, but enough of an upgrade? Not really. The Phillies outfield will stag lag behind the majority of competition once the postseason arrives, even if there is significant value tied to Bader's glove at a premium position.
We shall see how Philadelphia organizes its outfield. Getting Bader reps in centerfield is wise. Perhaps the Marsh-Rojas platoon moves to left field, with Bader moving to left in favor of Rojas in center when the Phillies face lefty pitching. Maybe Kepler gets axed from the regular lineup. It's all on the table.
Twins boost farm system with light Harrison Bader return
Philadelphia is sending OF Hendry Mendez (PHI No. 12 prospect) and RHP Geremy Villoria to Minnesota.
Phillies are sending outfielder Hendry Mendez and righty Geremy Villoria to Twins for Harrison Bader, according to sources.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) July 31, 2025
This isn't a half-bad return for an expiring outfielder, as the Twins are clearly in sell mode. Mendez is the core of the return for Minnesota; the 21-year-old has excellent contact skills but needs to elevate more hits in order to level up. Bader is certainly more valuable on his defense alone, but Minnesota will hope Mendez progresses in key areas and provides a more substantial offensive jolt once he's in the big leagues in a few years.