The Philadelphia Phillies’ deadline outfielder acquisition has reportedly found a new team. Per Ken Rosenthal, Harrison Bader reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Bader will make $20.5 million over the two-year contract with a chance to make it $21 million with incentives.
Bader, 31, will go from one makeshift outfield to another as the Giants are in the process of reforming theirs for 2026. The outfielder will slot in nicely at center field, improving what has been a lackluster showing of defense in the Giants' outfield.
After the Phillies acquired Bader for a pair of prospects at the Trade Deadline, Bader registered what was by all accounts his best stretch of baseball to date. In 50 games, the outfielder with an unconventional stride posted a .305 batting average and an .824 OPS, scoring 30 runs and batting in 16 for the Phillies.
Bader was set to make an impact for the Phillies in the National League Division Series before a groin strain took him out of consideration for much of the series. The Phillies went on to lose the NLDS in four games to the eventual World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
At just a $10.5 million maximum reported AAV, Bader is not seeing a pay increase after his strong second half, having made $10 million in 2025. While the Phillies were impressed with his performance and Bader’s fitting in with the clubhouse immediately, the Phillies made a clear decision to go in a different direction for 2026.
With top prospect Justin Crawford sitting in the wings, Phillies president Dave Dombrowski has made the commitment to give Crawford a chance in center field, claiming he will get a lot of action at the position in the coming season. With the Phillies also having acquired Adolis Garcia to replace the still rostered Nick Castellanos in right field, it leaves only left field as a potential landing spot for Bader if the Phillies had pursued him.
Brandon Marsh, meanwhile, posted some of his best numbers in 2025, earning trust as a left-handed portion of a platoon, with Otto Kemp likely to complement him.
While many in Philadelphia would have gladly shoveled more snow today to make a Harrison Bader signing happen, it appears that their hopes, along with their backs, have been exhausted.
