Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies are worried about the status of free agency and the possibility that some of their favorites won’t be back in red pinstripes next season, as the summer has already begun and the GM Meetings have concluded. Harrison Bader, a free agent center fielder, didn’t make things any simpler for them this week.
It’s possible that Phillies supporters overinterpreted a recent post on Bader’s Instagram account. Along with a variety of pictures from his time with the Phillies, the post included a video of Bader sprinting to center field at Citizens Bank Park.
Phrases like “Two and a half months was not nearly enough, but that’s all the Gods had in store for us this year” were added in the message, which led fans to believe he had moved on from Philadelphia and ended any possibility of him re-signing with the Phillies.
Free agent Harrison Bader never meant his post to be interpreted as a ‘farewell’ to Phillies fans
On Wednesday, however, Devan Kaney of FOX 29 Philadelphia and Sportsradio 94 WIP assisted in providing clarification.
“I was informed that Harrison Bader’s most recent post has no bearing on his future with the Phillies. does not imply that he is not coming back “in the slightest,” according to Bader’s camp. was only a thank-you message, Kaney wrote on X (previously Twitter).
Alright, I’m relieved that was resolved. It remains to be seen if Bader will truly rejoin the Phillies. There isn’t exactly a ton of talent available in the outfield free agent market.
After joining the Phillies at the trade deadline, the 31-year-old became a fan favorite. He was a sparkplug of good energy, played outstanding defense, and wasn’t too bad with the bat either.
Bader slashed in just fifty games. 305/.361/.463 with one stolen base, 30 runs scored, 16 RBIs, and five home runs. In that brief time, he recorded 1.2 fWAR and 129 wRC+. Sadly, a leg injury prevented him from making an impact during the postseason.
Where would Harrison Bader fit in Phillies’ 2026 outfield plans?
According to Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations for the Phillies, the team is interested in bringing Bader back this winter. But there are also some unanswered questions regarding the 2026 outfield. Many issues would be resolved if the seasoned Bader could be placed in center.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Dombrowski stated last week that the team would feel comfortable starting the season with top prospect Justin Crawford at center field (subscription needed). However, there is still doubt regarding his capacity to play center field defense in the professional leagues. Perhaps left would be the best fit for him.
Bader, for his part, had already expressed his desire to go back to Philadelphia. According to Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation, he talked about how much he loved his time with the Phillies and the potential for a comeback following the team’s heartbreaking Game 4 NLDS loss.
“Yes. According to Lugardo, Bader responded, “Absolutely,” when asked if he would want to re-sign. I’ve mentioned this a lot, you know. Winning baseball, winning culture, and desiring to win are, in my opinion, universal languages. The uniform doesn’t truly define that, in my opinion. I believe it’s extremely easy for me to fit in because I’ve been thrown into a clubhouse where many guys, if you will, speak that same language. I’m simply incredibly appreciative of everyone. I simply couldn’t wait to play here. It’s obviously not what we wanted, but I’m just concentrating on that since there’s always another chance.
All we can do is wait and watch whether the rumors about Bader’s potential comeback materialize because there is still a lot of time and lots of agreements to be completed in free agency.