The Philadelphia Phillies are looking at a Gold Glove push away from them after having a big year. The San Francisco Giants, who are interested in Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette, might also be the ones poaching the talent from the City of Brotherly Love.
Harrison Bader had an incredibly productive season in 2025. However, the outfielder is now sitting in free agency looking to cash a big payday and the Phillies might lose the battle for his services to the Giants.
According to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, it’s the San Francisco Giants the ones that could tempt Bader to not return to Philadelphia. “The Giants are still a dark horse to make a run at Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette, but with more pressing needs in the starting rotation, they will likely aim a bit lower if they make another addition to their lineup,” Reuter said. “A defensive standout like Harrison Bader even more valuable as a potential target to man center field.”
Bader is a talented player on both ends
Bader was one of the best defenders in the MLB, and his bat was well above league average. He is a very complete player. Jung Hoo Lee (-18 DRS, -5 OAA) and Heliot Ramos (-6 DRS, -9 OAA) were very defficient defensively, and Bader would be a massive improvement for the Giants in that regard.
Harrison Bader played for the Phillies
Also, San Francisco has a huge outfield. A guy like Bader could easily help out and turn triples into doubles and doubles into singles with his defensive play. His defense alone would make Bader one of the more important names on the Giants roster.
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Landing Bader would allow the Giants to make more moves
Being a cheaper option than Bichette and Tucker, Bader would be great. Landing him would allow the Giants to buy big on an ace while still get a top-of-the-line player. It’s literally the best-case scenario and one must wonder if the Giants should stop pursuing Bichette or Tucker altogether to focus on Bader before the Phillies convince him to return.
The Giants need a second base, that’s why a guy like Bichette is really tempting. Still, it also seems like the team isn’t ready to deploy such a big contract. Hence, trading for Brandon Lowe of the Rays or Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals could become real possibilities for them to solve the second base problem.
