Main league job boards don’t exist, not less than not for gamers. You may’t stroll previous some legendary participant’s union clubhouse, see an indication that claims “Group in search of center reliever, please tear off a quantity and name it to use,” and discover a job that method. The group calls you, or emails your agent, they usually try this after working up their very own listing of targets independently. Or not less than, that’s what they inform us. However after seeing the Minnesota Twins purchase the identical kind of participant for the third 12 months working, as they did in signing Harrison Bader to a one-year deal this week, I’m not so positive.
Bader’s deal is for one 12 months and $6.25 million, with bonuses that would kick in one other $2 million. That’s an affordable deal for a high quality backup, and that’s precisely what Bader seems to be like. He’s put up between 300 and 450 plate appearances in six of the previous seven seasons – the one 12 months he missed that mark was within the COVID-shortened 2020 marketing campaign. At first, that was as a result of he couldn’t keep on the sphere, however in recent times, he’s become a defensive specialist and righty platoon bat.
How a lot do the Twins like these two roles? Properly, in 2023, they traded for Michael A. Taylor, a defensive specialist and righty platoon bat, after which gave him 110 begins in middle discipline. Certain, they’d Byron Buxton, however that 12 months Buxton by no means took the sphere, all the higher to guard him from accidents. Taylor was so good that he received a brand new deal in free company to go to Pittsburgh – so the Twins went out and traded for Manuel Margot, a “defensive specialist” and righty platoon bat.
I put defensive specialist in citation marks as a result of Margot’s protection hadn’t graded out nicely in years when the Twins traded for him. They nonetheless ran him out for a complete of 68 begins and 113 video games within the outfield, each to present Buxton a relaxation and to platoon with lefties in left and proper discipline. Sadly for each side, Margot was extremely disappointing – .238/.289/.337 with sketchy protection – so the Twins have been proper again to the drafting board in making an attempt to recapture that Taylor magic.
Enter Bader, whose sport bears greater than a passing resemblance to Taylor’s. This isn’t a Margot scenario, the place defensive repute and high quality don’t line up. Bader is certifiably incredible on the market. The final time Statcast graded his protection as beneath common in middle was by no means. The final time it thought he was lower than a +6 outfielder was 2020, and he would have simply eclipsed that given affordable taking part in time. Earlier than that? It’s a must to return to his rookie 12 months, 2016, and that was a minuscule 151 inning cup of espresso.
This isn’t a kind of defensive grades that takes you some time to wrap your head round. Bader grades out nicely in loud methods. He has super burst, glorious straight line pace, a knack for making nice sliding catches, and a cannon of an arm that he isn’t afraid to make use of. The one actual problem the Twins may need in fielding alignments is that Bader has been so good for his complete profession that he hasn’t performed any outfield place apart from middle since 2018, so his traces and reactions could be somewhat rusty within the corners.
And what he can do within the corners will matter rather a lot if Minnesota runs again their plan from final 12 months. Buxton made greater than half the group’s begins in middle, an enormous leap from his current pattern, and each outfield corners wanted righty platoon assist. Even with Max Kepler departing in free company, that’ll most likely be true once more in 2025; we’re projecting Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach because the on a regular basis starters in proper and left, and extra apparent platoon conditions may not exist. The 2 of them can’t hit lefties even somewhat, they usually’re each beneath common within the discipline. Discovering somebody to take a few of these at-bats towards southpaws isn’t a luxurious good for the Twins; it’s nearer to a each day important.
Is Bader the man you need taking these at-bats? Not likely, if I’m being sincere. Earlier in his profession, Bader confirmed some offensive promise, however we’re a great distance from these days. In recent times, he’s traded energy for contact; he’s strolling much less, placing out much less, and hitting for fewer additional bases. Is that intentional? It’s onerous to say for positive, however whether it is, I feel it’s a fantastic concept. Bader had some extreme strikeout points as a younger main leaguer, and his energy was by no means actually distinctive. I’m not saying he ought to attempt to put up a batting line like he did in 2024 – hitting that poorly misplaced him a beginning job – however I do agree with the fashion of hitting he’s using. While you discipline like he does, you largely must keep away from catastrophe on the plate to maintain discovering a job. He’s doing precisely that.
Would you, because the GM of a contending group, make use of a righty projected to hit for a 100 wRC+ towards lefties and play an outfield nook? You possible wouldn’t. I perceive that protection performs even within the corners and that not utilizing him as a platoon possibility could be even worse, however certainly there’s somebody within the higher minors who can present common offense when given the sting of hitting right-on-left.
No, Bader’s actual worth is within the Buxton insurance coverage he offers the Twins. They clearly dearly worth this insurance coverage, and given Buxton’s harm historical past, it’s straightforward to see why. You by no means purchase insurance coverage hoping to money it in, and the Twins are in that boat right here. If issues go nicely, Bader goes to play middle discipline a lot much less regularly than he has previously. He’ll fill in when Buxton DHs, in fact, however a wholesome Buxton will imply a sidelined Bader. That’s the way it must be in order for you a real middle fielder to play when your beginning middle fielder can’t. For $6.25 million, the Twins are upgrading from throwing Willi Castro on the market, which is what they did when Margot couldn’t hack it, to a bona fide elite defensive possibility.
Castro would possibly take a few of these outfield nook platoon at-bats away from Bader, in truth. However he himself is a part of an injury-backup chain; with Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa each no strangers to the IL, Castro and Brooks Lee will most likely be hopping across the infield regularly. Managing the Twins roster goes to be fairly tough this 12 months, however having a flexible possibility like Castro and a defensive ace off the bench like Bader goes a great distance in the direction of making the inevitable harm points manageable.
Is that this essentially the most consequential signing of the offseason? Most likely not. It could be one of the crucial consequential within the AL Central, although. It’s been a quiet winter just about throughout the board, and this very particular problem has cropped up for the Twins on a yearly foundation. In signing Bader, the Twins are telling us that the factor they need most this winter, with restricted price range to allocate, is a backup plan for once they’re lower than 100% wholesome. Given the current well being points they’ve had, I can’t assist however concur.
