Is the market setting up for Harrison Bader to return to the Phillies?

Managing Editor

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Sep 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader (2) slides past the tag attempt of Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) for a run during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher

The Kansas City Royals — who have previously been rumored to have interest in both Harrison Bader and Nick Castellanos — may now be set in the outfield without acquiring either of the 2025 Phillies.

Saturday, the Royals completed a rather shocking trade with the Brewers, sending left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee to acquire both outfielder Isaac Collins and righty reliever Nick Mears.

For the purposes of this story, acquiring Collins is the most relevant part. Collins finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting this past season, hitting .263 with nine home runs, 54 RBIs, 57 walks, a .779 OPS and five outs above average in left field. Though he was an older rookie at 27, that means Collins isn't even yet arbitration eligible, and won't be able to become a free agent until after the 2030 season. Presumably, president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo views him as the long-term starting left fielder for the Royals.

Additionally, the Royals inked veteran Lane Thomas to a one-year/$5.25 million deal in free agency earlier this week, a pact that reportedly includes $1 million in incentives. Thomas was limited to just 39 games this past season with the Cleveland Guardians, but Phillies fans are well aware from his time with the Washington Nationals that the 30-year-old can be a productive option at all three outfield positions when healthy.

When you factor in former first-round pick Jac Caglianone and glove-first center fielder Kyle Isbel, the Royals — a team that desperately needed to improve their outfield — might be finished.

That's particularly relevant to the Phillies because both Bader, a free agent, and Nick Castellanos — a trade or release candidate that's almost certainly played his last game in red pinstripes — previously seemed like potential fits for the Royals.

At the outset of the MLB Winter Meetings, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote this of Kansas City and Bader:

The Kansas City Royals are mulling a long list of potential upgrades for their outfield. They are not pursuing the most expensive options, Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger. They might also be priced out of the top player on the next tier of free agents, Harrison Bader, who is said to be expecting a three-year deal.

Perhaps we're reading a little too much into this, but you're left to wonder if part of the reason this info was put out was because the Royals hoped to talk Bader down to two years before having to pivot elsewhere.

In any event, Rosenthal went on to report that the Royals hoped to add a pair of outfielders, "one through free agency and the other through trade." Well, if that's the case, then get the gin and lemon out, because Picollo signed Thomas and traded for Collins.

Castellanos had been linked to the Royals back in the summer, with Jon Heyman of The New York Post mentioning that Kansas City had interest in him prior to the trade deadline. That never led to anything then, and it's possible teams will view Castellanos more as an DH/first base option this winter after he posted minus-11 defensive runs saved and minus-12 outs above average in right field this past season. The Royals, though, were one team entering the offseason that felt like they could be a possible landing spot for Castellanos via trade if the Phillies ate a significant chunk of the $20 million he's owed in 2026. You can now cross them off the list, leading you to believe this all might end with the two-time All-Star just being released.

Let's get it back to Bader, who is frankly more relevant at this point.

The Royals are now likely out for him.
Ditto for the Texas Rangers, who instead acquired Brandon Nimmo in a trade with the New York Mets.
While we're on the Mets, they do have potential needs in left and/or center field, and president of baseball operations David Stearns has stressed "run prevention" this offseason. At the same time, Bader posted a .657 OPS for the Mets in 2024. They may be inclined to believe he's a better offensive player than that based on how he performed for the Phillies and Minnesota Twins in 2025, but it's hard to imagine the Mets giving him a three-year deal this offseason.
Speaking of New York teams that previously employed Bader, the Yankees seemed like an interesting potential landing spot at the outset of the offseason, although Trent Grisham accepting the one-year/$22.025 million qualifying offer probably reduced the chances of a reunion there. With Grisham, Aaron Judge, Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones, the only way the Yankees spend on another outfielder this offseason will likely be for an All-Star level player, such as bringing back Cody Bellinger or signing Kyle Tucker.

Here's the latest on Nick Castellanos, Phillies

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— Tim Kelly (@timkellysports.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 6:54 PM

Back the GM meetings in Las Vegas last month, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski offered this assessment of where things stood between the Phillies and Bader.

"They know we have interest. They know that we'd like to bring him back," Dombrowski said, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. "They also had expressed that they want to see what's out there because this was the best year he's had, I think, in quite a while."

It seems increasingly like "what's out there" isn't going to end in Bader receiving a three-year deal. Perhaps that means the 31-year-old could circle back with the Phillies and reach a two-year deal that has him return to Philadelphia with an outfield that's likely to also include Justin Crawford and Brandon Marsh in 2026.