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Phillies Have Offer Out To J.T. Realmuto

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The Phillies secured a reunion with one of their key veteran free agents Tuesday morning when they signed Kyle Schwarber to a five-year deal, and now it appears their attention will return to their other veteran hitter who reached free agency last month. Philadelphia has an offer on the table for veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto, according to a report from Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. The details of that offer aren’t presently known, though The Athletic’s Matt Gelb adds that Realmuto is “expected” to ultimately return to Philadelphia in 2026 and suggests that he may do so on a two-year deal. Even so, Gelb makes clear that Realmuto is continuing to survey the free agent market.

The veteran backstop will play next season at the age of 35 and is coming off his worst season since his rookie campaign back in 2015. Realmuto slashed just .257/.315/.384 with a 94 wRC+ in 134 games this year. It’s the third-lowest on-base percentage and the lowest slugging percentage of his career, ignoring an 11-game cup of coffee during the 2014 season. Between Realmuto’s age and down season at the plate, it might seem likely that he would be poised to find a soft market in free agency this winter.

That’s not how things have played out, however. Realmuto has established a solid floor as a two-win regular behind the plate, and that’s allowed him to remain a valuable commodity due to a dearth of catching talent around the league. Danny Jansen and Victor Caratini are the next best options available in free agency behind Realmuto, but Jansen’s 72-game 2022 season is the only campaign in either player’s career where they’ve reached the 2.0 fWAR benchmark that Realmuto has established as a floor over the past three seasons.

Additionally, teams might be less concerned about Realmuto’s near-term future behind the plate given the fact that ABS is coming to the majors in 2026 by way of the challenge system; Realmuto has been a slightly below-average blocker and well above-average at controlling the running game behind the plate in recent years, but lackluster framing numbers have held back his overall defensive value. With the challenge system likely to reduce the impact of catcher framing, perhaps teams are a little more comfortable with using a catcher with a lackluster recent track record when it comes to pitch framing than they otherwise would have been.

Whether it’s Realmuto’s steady floor or the rule changes that will impact his job in 2026, he’s managed to garner some real interest around the league this winter. The Red Sox and Rangers are both known to have interest in Realmuto, though the fit in Texas has been downplayed by significant questions regarding the club’s ability to afford the expected price tag attached to the veteran. MLBTR predicted a two-year, $30MM guarantee for Realmuto, and as the Rangers look to cut payroll this winter it seems reasonable to expect that adding a $15MM salary to the books won’t be in the cards this winter barring a payroll-reducing trade elsewhere on the roster. The same is likely to go for other teams likely to pursue catching help this winter like the Rays and Padres.

That could make Realmuto’s market something of a two-horse race between Boston and Philadelphia, and with Carlos Narvaez locked in for the lion’s share of starts with the Red Sox next year it’s easy to see why the Phillies stand as the likely favorite. Should Philadelphia reunite with Realmuto this winter, however, both Zolecki and Gelb suggest that it might be difficult for the team to make other impact additions without first clearing salary elsewhere on the roster. Gelb notes that while Philadelphia is expected to carry a payroll north of $300MM in 2026, they’re already not too far off from that mark.

According to RosterResource, Philadelphia’s luxury tax payroll sits just under $289MM after the Schwarber deal. Assuming the Phillies plan on a payroll in the same vicinity as last year’s $314MM figure, that leaves the club with $25MM left to spend. Should Realmuto take up around $15MM of that money as the club projects, that would leave just $10MM for the team to use when revamping their outfield mix. That might not be enough to re-sign Harrison Bader, who the Phillies are known to have interest in, and could instead leave them looking at some of the lesser options available in a thin outfield market like Austin Hays, Mike Yastrzemski, Mike Tauchman, and Rob Refsnyder.

Of course, another option would be for the Phillies to look to shed payroll elsewhere on their roster in order to create financial flexibility. That the Phillies are planning to move on from Nick Castellanos this winter is one of the league’s worst-kept secrets. While they evidently plan to try and work out a trade involving the veteran in hopes of saving on at least some of his $20MM salary for next year, the club is lacking in leverage to get that sort of deal done and might wind up releasing him. Gelb suggests that a trade of someone like Alec Bohm or Matt Strahm could be a more likely way to save money, and either player would certainly have more value on the market than Castellanos.

Strahm is due $7.5MM in 2026 and has been a reliable setup man for the Phillies in each of the past three seasons, while Bohm has a 110 wRC+ at third base over the past two years and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for $10.3MM in his final trip through arbitration this winter. Trading both players would free up nearly $18MM in the budget, which would be more than enough to re-up with Bader and Realmuto while still leaving some money left over to add someone like Willi Castro or Yoan Moncada to the mix who could help Edmundo Sosa handle the hot corner until top prospect Aidan Miller is ready to step into the big league lineup. Zolecki notes that Miller could be ready as soon as this coming summer, while fellow top prospects Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford figure to have every opportunity to break camp with the team on Opening Day.

Royals Hoping To Add Multiple Outfielders

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The Royals are known to be evaluating the trade market for outfielders, with president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo recently signaling a willingness to trade from his rotation depth to bring in some outfield help. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Kansas City is looking to acquire multiple outfielders this offseason — ideally one via trade and another via free agency. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that free agent center fielder Harrison Bader is a target for the Royals. Austin Hays is also on the team’s radar, per Heyman.

While Heyman suggests that the Royals are particularly keen on adding some right-handed help to the lineup, manager Matt Quatraro downplayed any desire for specific handedness in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (video clip).

“Right-handed, left-handed — it’s who can give us the professional at-bats,” Quatraro said when asked about his team’s approach as it shops for upgrades this winter. “I don’t think it has to be one or the other. It’s who wants to be there, who can provide the most upside for us within the lineup to lengthen it out.” Quatraro did go on to call Bader a “great name” and a “top-notch free agent this offseason” when asked specifically about Heyman’s report, but he naturally sidestepped commenting on any specific interest from his club.

Unsurprisingly, Rosenthal suggests that the Royals aren’t pursuing top-end free agents like Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, both of whom will command nine-figure contracts that exceed Kansas City’s preferred price range. He also implies that there’s some reluctance to bet too heavily on rebound candidates, given that the team will already be banking on meaningful contributions from young players like catcher Carter Jensen and first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone.

Bader, according to Rosenthal, is seeking a three-year deal in free agency. Whether that proves too steep for the Royals remains to be seen, but the ask is understandable coming off a terrific season. The 31-year-old slashed a career-best .277/.347/.449 (122 wRC+) and also notched career-high marks in home runs (17), doubles (24) and plate appearances (501) in 146 games between the Twins and Phillies. Bader played more left field than usual, in deference to Byron Buxton during his time with the Twins, but provided his usual brand of plus defense in both spots.

Glove-first outfielders of this nature generally haven’t been able to command three-year contracts in free agency, typically settling for two-year arrangements, at best. Bader could be helped out by a thin and frankly bleak market for center field help, although recent offseasons with a similar lack of options at the position haven’t yielded overpays for the few credible candidates available.

Bader’s ability to land a three-year deal (or his lack thereof) will hinge on whether teams buy the offensive breakout. There are reasons to be skeptical. Bader’s production was buoyed by a huge .359 average on balls in play. Last year’s 27.1% strikeout rate, meanwhile, was his highest since 2020.

The uptick in power and overall production isn’t really supported by an increase in batted-ball quality; Bader’s 87.2 mph average exit velocity is well below the league-average and an exact match for his 2024 mark — a season in which he batted .236/.284/.373. Bader did barrel more balls than usual this season and enjoy a slight bump in hard-hit rate, but the uptick in whiffs and a career-high 45.7% ground-ball rate make it more than fair to question whether he can sustain this type of offense.

Hays, 30, would be another righty-swinging addition, albeit one who is coming off a lesser season at the plate and is not an option in center field at this stage of his career. He popped 15 homers for the Reds in 2025 while hitting .266/.315/.453 overall (105 wRC+). As usual, a disproportionate amount of Hays’ production came against left-handed pitchers, whom he crushed at a .319/.400/.549 clip. Against right-handers, Hays mustered a more tepid .249/.286/.422 output.

Hays has generally been a fine defensive left fielder. He does have some experience in center but hasn’t played there since 2023 and only has 483 total big league innings at the position (compared to more than 3600 in left field and more than 900 in right field). He’s battled myriad injuries in recent seasons, including calf, hamstring and foot ailments in 2025 and, far more concerningly, a severe kidney infection in 2024 that sapped every aspect of his game. Hays played last season on a one-year, $5MM deal in Cincinnati and is probably looking at another affordable one- or perhaps two-year deal in free agency.

The Royals’ 2026 payroll comes in at a projected $139MM, per RosterResource. That’s already considerably higher than the $126MM mark at which they opened the 2025 season. They’re within a few million dollars of the franchise-record $143MM — a mark that was set under the late David Glass, who sold the club to current owner John Sherman back in Nov. 2019.

That number could change a bit, depending on the type of outfielder the club targets via trade and whether they trade a somewhat established starter for said outfielder. Lefty Kris Bubic, for instance, has been the subject of trade talks and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $6MM next year. If he’s traded and the return includes a pre-arbitration outfielder, the Royals would trim more than $5MM off that expected payroll.

However it takes shape, upgrading the outfield is the clear priority for Kansas City this winter. Royals outfielders were far and away the least-productive group in Major League Baseball last year, slashing a combined .225/.285/.348. The resulting 73 wRC+ ranked last in the game. Kansas City’s 37 home runs from its outfield were the second-fewest of any team in the sport. None of the Royals’ best and/or most MLB-ready prospects play the outfield naturally. Caglianone is a first baseman who’s learning right field due the presence of Vinnie Pasquantino at his natural position. In addition to Bader and Hays, the Royals are also said to be interested in re-signing deadline acquisition Mike Yastrzemski.

Giants Have Interest In Harrison Bader

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Harrison Bader is coming off the best offensive season of his career, and this well-timed surge at the plate set up the former Gold Glover nicely as he enters free agency.  The Phillies are known to be open to reuniting with Bader after he performed so well for Philadelphia following a deadline trade from the Twins, and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser writes that Bader also “piques the Giants’ interest” as the team explores the outfield market.

Bader’s chief calling card is his glove, as public defensive metrics indicate consistently good-to-great numbers for Bader over his nine big league seasons.  2025 was no exception, as he received +6 Defensive Runs Saved and +3 Outs Above Average over 568 2/3 innings as a center fielder, and +7 DRS and +3 OAA for 496 innings as a left fielder.  Last season marked the first time that Bader saw any work in the corner outfield slots since 2018, as he probably would’ve gotten more looks up the middle in Minnesota if Byron Buxton hadn’t stayed healthy.

The offensive production has been much more of a roller-coaster for Bader, as while he posted some above-average numbers with the Cardinals earlier in his career, he had just an 80 wRC+ over 1094 plate appearances across the 2022-24 seasons.  It seemed as though Bader was destined for a fourth-outfielder role for the remainder of his career, but his bat came to life in 2025.  Bader hit .277/.347/.449 with 17 homers over 501 PA for the Twins and Phillies, for a personal best of 122 wRC+.

It’s a fair question to wonder if this production can carry over into 2026 and beyond, as Bader had a .359 BABIP and a host of subpar Statcast metrics undermining last season’s numbers.  MLB Trade Rumors still ranked Bader 31st on our list of the winter’s top 50 free agents, but with a fairly modest projection of a two-year, $26MM contract.  Bader is helped by the fact that the pickings are quite slim in this year’s center field market, and the list has been further thinned since Trent Grisham accepted the Yankees’ qualifying offer, Cedric Mullins signed with the Rays, and the Twins don’t appear to have any interest in dealing Buxton.

At the very least, a team signing Bader can count on superb defense, and that has natural appeal for the Giants at spacious Oracle Park.  Jung Hoo Lee has posted brutal defensive numbers (-20 DRS, -6 OAA) over his two Major League seasons as San Francisco’s center fielder, and Lee’s strong throwing arm perhaps makes right field a better fit.  Since left fielder Heliot Ramos is also a below-average defender, adding a defensive ace like Bader into the mix is a clear and obvious way for the Giants to upgrade their glovework on the grass.

Phillies Interested In Re-Signing Harrison Bader

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After a disappointing seasons that saw them earn a bye through the Wild Card series but immediately fall to the Dodgers in the NLDS, the Phillies are in an uncertain spot as the team figures to look very different by the time Opening Day rolls around. Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto are free agents, while Nick Castellanos is expected to play elsewhere next year. While the team’s roster is in flux more than usual this winter, it’s long seemed likely that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski would look to engage with some of those outgoing free agents.

That includes some players who haven’t been around quite as long as the team’s veteran core, as Dombrowski indicated to reporters (including Lochlan March of The Philadelphia Inquirer) that the team not only has interest in bringing free agent outfielder Harrison Bader back into the fold, but has also conveyed that to Bader’s camp already this winter.

“They know we’d like to bring him back,” Dombrowski said during last week’s GM Meetings, as relayed by March. “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.”

That would seem to indicate that Bader won’t be jumping the market to sign right away, the way Josh Naylor did last night when he re-upped with the Mariners. Still, a reunion between Bader and the Phillies would make plenty of sense. After being dealt to the Phillies from the Twins at the trade deadline, Bader found another gear amid what was already a career year. In 50 games with Philadelphia, Bader slashed .300/.361/.463 (129 wRC+) to boost his season-long slash line to .277/.347/.449 (122 wRC+). Bader’s 7.8% walk rate was his best full-season mark since 2019, and while he struck out at an elevated 27.1% clip he made up for it by slugging a career-high 17 homers and 24 doubles.

This year’s performance from Bader was enough for him to profile as a solid regular in an outfield corner offensively, but even as his defensive metrics have slipped from once-elite levels he remains a solidly above average defender all across the grass, including center field. That adds a solid floor of production to the upside Bader flashed this year, and it’s been widely speculated that the 31-year-old will be able to land a multi-year guarantee this year on the back of his strong 2025, and MLBTR’s own prediction is that he’ll secure a two-year, $26MM guarantee.

For a team that enters the offseason with only Brandon Marsh locked into its outfield for next year, it’s easy to see why bringing back Bader would make plenty of sense. With that said, the Phillies are far from the only team that Bader could be a fit for. His old stomping grounds in both Queens and the Bronx could both use a center fielder, and teams like the Angels, Orioles, Guardians, Giants, and Royals are all known to be on the prowl for help either in center or the outfield generally this winter.

Some of those teams may be priced out of Bader’s market when all is said and done, and not all of them are perfect fits, but it’s a large enough cast of potential suitors that even with Philadelphia’s interest in a reunion Bader could have some incentive to wait out the market for at least a little while yet. Meanwhile, the Phillies will need to prioritize bigger ticket free agents like Schwarber and Realmuto themselves, whether that comes by way of re-signing them outright or finding another way to replace their production for 2026.

Poll: Which Team Will Sign Harrison Bader?

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Among the center fielders available in free agency, Harrison Bader stands as the best option in terms of defense. In 2025, he tied for 7th-best among qualified outfielders with 13 Defensive Runs Saved. Indeed, Bader has been worth a staggering 67 DRS along with 77 Outs Above Average dating back to his debut 2017 season.

In 2025, Bader paired his typically excellent defense with a career-best offensive performance. In 501 plate appearances across 146 games between the Twins and Phillies, he batted .277/.347/.449 with a 122 wRC+ while setting a career high with 17 homers and upping his hard-hit rate to 40.3%. However, there are questions as to whether Bader’s performance is sustainable, given that he batted .359 on balls in play, which was far above the league average of .291.

Offensive question marks aside, Bader figures to earn a multi-year contract in this turn through free agency. We at MLBTR project him for a two-year, $26MM deal. Which team will take the plunge? Here’s a look at some of the options:

Phillies

A reunion with the Phillies would make plenty of sense. Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Ranger Suarez are all free agents, and though the club would love to bring Schwarber back, there might be some available payroll if the other two end up leaving. In general, the Phillies’ outfield defense has not been a strong suit in recent years. In 2025, Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler were roughly average in the field, while Nick Castellanos was worth -11 DRS in right field and may not be on the team in 2026. Johan Rojas was worth 4 DRS in 418 2/3 outfield innings but also hit for just a 58 wRC+ in 172 plate appearances. Justin Crawford rates as the team’s No. 3 prospect according to MLB.com and could factor in, though a reunion with Bader would add to the defense while giving Crawford time to adjust to the majors.

Angels

The Angels used Mike Trout primarily as a DH this year in order to keep him healthy. That left Jo Adell as the starting center fielder, and he was worth -13 DRS in 724 innings there. Bryce Teodosio was much better with 7 DRS in 406 innings, but like Rojas for the Phillies, Teodosio was an offensive black hole with a 51 wRC+ in 150 PA. Overall, the Angels’ outfield defense was valued at -27 DRS, which ranked second-worst among big-league clubs ahead of only the Rockies. Signing Bader would help a great deal in that department, and it’s not as if the $26MM figure would break the bank for owner Arte Moreno, anyway.

Giants

The Giants have Jung Hoo Lee signed through 2029 (though he has an opt-out after 2027). While he was slightly above average offensively with a 107 wRC+ in 150 games this year, he was last among qualified center fielders with -18 DRS. Statcast regards him as having 11th-percentile range but 91st-percentile arm strength, so it’s possible he’d be a better fit in right field than center. Overall, the Giants’ outfield defense was not much better than the Angels’, as they combined for -21 DRS during the season. Mike Yastrzemski had been their best defensive outfielder, but he was traded to the Royals at the deadline. Since San Francisco already has expensive contracts on the books for Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, and Lee himself, signing Bader could be a low-cost option for strong defense and good-enough offense.

Orioles

Cedric Mullins was well below average defensively in 2025 and was traded to the Mets at the deadline. Colton Cowser and Dylan Carlson were serviceable in center following that trade, but they were hardly difference-makers. Prospect Dylan Beavers debuted in 2025 but only played the corners, and their next-closest outfield prospect, Enrique Bradfield Jr., is seen as an exceptional defender but an underdeveloped bat. Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias has signaled that the club will be aggressive in pursuing upgrades, and RosterResource gives them $68MM in payroll space before they match their 2025 spending. Bader would dramatically improve the defense while still leaving room for pitching upgrades.

Where do MLBTR readers think Bader will land this offseason? Cast your vote in the poll below:

Harrison Bader Declines Mutual Option With Phillies

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The Phillies announced that Harrison Bader has declined his end of a $10MM mutual option for 2026. He will now return to free agency, collecting a $3MM buyout on his way back to the open market.

Bader, 32 in June, is coming off a strong season. One of the top outfield defenders in the game, his offense has been inconsistent. 2024 was his third straight season with subpar offense, by measure of wRC+.

He settled for a one-year, $6.25MM deal with the Twins coming into 2025. That broke down as a $750K signing bonus, a $4MM base salary and a $1.5MM buyout on a $10MM mutual option. He could also increase the value of the buyout via plate appearance bonuses. By making 501 appearances this year, he hit all the bonuses and added another $1.5MM to the buyout value.

Those plate appearances were split between the Twins and Phillies, as Minnesota fell out of the playoff race and turned into deadline sellers, flipping Bader to Philadelphia. Bader’s deal also had a $500K assignment bonus for getting traded, so he unlocked that as well.

Overall, he performed well. He hit .277/.347/.449 for a 122 wRC+. Thanks to that offense joining forces with his typically strong baserunning and defense, FanGraphs credited him with 3.2 wins above replacement on the year.

The offense probably isn’t wholly sustainable. He had a .359 batting average on balls in play this year. That’s higher than his .305 career rate and the .291 league average in 2025. Regardless, he may have played himself into a nice multi-year deal this winter. It’s possible that could come with the Phillies but they are reportedly looking to make an outfield shake-up, which figures to include moving on from Nick Castellanos. Whether Bader can fit into the plans might depend on how that shuffle plays out.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images

Phillies Expected To Trade Or Release Nick Castellanos

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The Phillies are likely to trade or release Nick Castellanos this offseason, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The veteran outfielder is owed $20MM for the final season of a five-year, $100MM free agent deal.

It has been apparent for the past few months that Castellanos’ time with the organization would probably come to an end this winter. He hasn’t performed up to expectations for most of his time in Philly. He’s coming off a career-worst .250/.294/.400 batting line and lost playing time in the second half.

Castellanos has also had a couple public spats with manager Rob Thomson. The skipper benched Castellanos for a game in June after the player made what Thomson considered “an inappropriate comment” when being lifted for a defensive replacement (ESPN link). Late in the season, Castellanos publicly criticized Thomson for what he called “questionable” communication on players’ roles.

The Phillies have not announced any decisions. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was asked about the situation at this morning’s end-of-season press conference. “I don’t know. I’m not going to get into specific players that are on our roster under contract. The [incidents] that you talked about are accurate, but we’ll see what happens,” he replied (link via Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer).

Obviously, the Phillies would prefer to find a trade partner than to simply release Castellanos. That won’t be easy. Other teams will be aware of the soured relationship. Even if things hadn’t gone south off the field, he’s coming off a season in which both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference felt he was below replacement level. Castellanos ranked among the bottom 20 hitters (minimum 500 plate appearances) in on-base percentage. He tied with Jo Adell and Juan Soto for an MLB-worst 12 outs below average among outfielders. He probably would have been a primary designated hitter if he weren’t teammates with Kyle Schwarber.

Castellanos did connect on 17 homers while driving in 72 runs. He’d topped 20 homers in each of the previous two seasons. He has not gone on the injured list in three seasons and has hit .282/.329/.463 against left-handed pitching over the past four years. He’d still be an offensive upgrade for some teams as a part-time outfielder/DH.

Teams aren’t going to assume a notable portion of a $20MM salary for that kind of role. The Phils will hope to find a club willing to take $3-5MM off their hands for a nominal return. Failing that, it seems they’d simply eat the contract and release him. Castellanos could then sign anywhere for the league minimum with the Phillies on the hook for the rest of the money. The Guardians, Royals, Rangers and Padres are among the teams that need more production out of the outfield and/or designated hitter.

Moving on from Castellanos will be one of multiple changes to the Phils’ outfield. Harrison Bader and Max Kepler are headed to free agency. (Bader will decline his end of a mutual option and sign a multi-year deal.) That leaves Brandon Marsh as the only returning regular. Kepler had a poor season after signing a $10MM free agent deal. Dombrowski acknowledged that he’s unlikely to be re-signed.

The Phils will presumably make an effort to bring Bader back, but they’re also facing the impending free agencies of Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suárez. While Dombrowski said the Phillies have interest in re-signing each of those players individually, he called it “probably impractical” to get all four of them done. Schwarber and Realmuto feel like the bigger priorities.

That points to a potential Opening Day roster spot for former first-round pick Justin Crawford. The Phillies were mulling a midseason call-up for the 21-year-old outfielder. Crawford probably would’ve debuted had they not managed to acquire Bader from Minnesota at the deadline. He instead spent the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he hit .334/.411/.452 and stole 46 bases in 112 games.

Crawford remains a somewhat divisive prospect. He has excellent bat-to-ball skills, but his power is limited by a swing designed to hit the ball on the ground. While he has the pure speed for center field, his arm and defensive routes lead many evaluators to project him as a left fielder. That could push Marsh back to center field, perhaps in another platoon with righty-swinging Johan Rojas.

N.L. Notes: Horton, Chourio, Bader

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Cubs right-hander Cade Horton is potentially making some progress. According to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, he will throw off a mound this week as the club decides whether or not to include him on the NLCS roster, if they advance that far.

Horton debuted this year and hit the ground running. He logged 118 innings for the Cubs with a 2.67 earned run average. Unfortunately, his season ended on a sour note. Horton suffered a rib fracture in September and it was immediately apparent that he would miss at least one playoff series. The Cubs survived the Wild Card round without him but he still wasn’t on the roster for their NLDS matchup against the Brewers.

The Chicago rotation is feeling thin at the moment, composed of Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon. Boyd just got rocked by the Brewers on Saturday. He was charged with six runs, only two of them being earned, as he failed to get out of the first inning. The Cubs went on to lose 9-3. Imanaga and Taillon were both decent this year but both had subpar strikeout rates. If the Cubs can hang on for a best-of-seven NLCS, getting Horton in there to take some pressure of those guys could be a difference maker.

Mooney also adds that the Cubs expect Horton to earn a full year of service time, which is understandable. As a top prospect who was promoted late enough that he wasn’t slated to get a full service year, he can earn that full year retroactively by finishing top two in N.L. Rookie of the Year voting. Horton and Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin are considered the frontrunners for that award, so Horton will likely get that full service year. That would put him on track to reach free agency after 2030 instead of 2031.

Some other injury updates from around the league…

  • Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio is in tonight’s lineup, batting leadoff against the Cubs. Chourio left the first game due to some right hamstring tightness. A subsequent MRI led to results which Pat Murphy described as “inconclusive,” adding that it’s “not a serious hamstring strain.” That implied that Chourio did indeed strain his hamstring, though the club is apparently comfortable running him out there tonight. Murphy said today, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that Chourio is not 100% and they’ll take him out of the game if it appears necessary.
  • Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader was removed from his club’s first NLDS game against the Dodgers due to a groin injury. He’s not in tonight’s Game Two lineup but he could be available to pinch hit. Manager Rob Thomson passed the new on to reporters, including Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Bader is an excellent defender and he hit .305/.361/.463 after being acquired from the Twins at the deadline, so the Phillies will obviously want him back in there as soon as possible. The Phils have Otto Kemp, Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos in the lineup tonight from left to right. Max Kepler is also in the mix, though he’s probably not starting tonight since lefty Blake Snell is on the bump for the Dodgers.

Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images

Harrison Bader To Undergo Imaging For Groin Injury

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October 5: Thomson said this morning that Bader’s MRI showed no major tear or strain, as relayed by Varnes. He’ll continue receiving treatment and the team will know more about his availability for Game 2 tomorrow, but MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki notes that Thomson said Bader is feeling better after receiving treatment last night.

October 4: The Phillies pulled outfielder Harrison Bader from Game 1 of the NLDS against the Dodgers tonight due to what was at first described by the team has hamstring tightness, but manager Rob Thomson later relayed to reporters (including Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic) that the issue was actually groin tightness. Bader himself later spoke to reporters (including Tim Kelly of On Pattison) and revealed that he would be undergoing imaging to determine the extent of his injury.

While the situation might seem concerning, Bader is considered day-to-day for the time being and expressed confidence that he’ll return to the Phillies’ lineup during this series. He noted that he’ll rest during tomorrow’s day off and “go from there,” adding that playing in the postseason is the time where you “empty the tank,” suggesting a willingness to try and play through an injury that might otherwise sit him down at another point in the season. That’s surely encouraging for Phillies fans to hear given Bader’s emergence as a key piece of the team in recent weeks.

Acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline back in July, Bader had already been enjoying a solid season with the Twins but kicked things up to another gear when he arrived in Philadephia. In 50 games with the Phillies, Bader has hit .305/.361/.463 with five home runs, eleven doubles, and a triple in 194 trips to the plate while serving as the team’s regular center fielder. He’s done his part defensively as well, with +1 Fielding Run Value in center this year despite playing the outfield corners exclusively in Minnesota. Bader has long been a well-regarded center fielder in the majors, but was pushed into a corner with the Twins due to the presence of a healthy Byron Buxton in the club’s lineup.

The addition of Bader at the deadline helped to stabilize the Phillies on both sides of the ball. Nick Castellanos struggled badly this year, with below-average offensive numbers that paired with his typical lackluster glove in the outfield to make him a below replacement level player. Max Kepler and Johan Rojas had disappointing seasons of their own as well, leaving Bader to step up alongside Brandon Marsh to help create some more production for the Phillies on both offensively and defensively. Few deadline additions have been more impactful for their club down the stretch, and it would be devastating for the club to go without Bader during a tough matchup against the Dodgers this week, especially after dropping game 1 of the series at home earlier this evening.

If Bader were to miss Game 2 on Monday, an outfield featuring Marsh in center flanked by Kepler in left and Castellanos in right seems like the most likely outcome, though Weston Wilson is also on the roster as a potential right-handed complement to Kepler. In a worst-case scenario where Bader needed to be pulled from the club’s NLDS roster entirely, the Phillies would have the option to place him on the injured list and replace him on the roster. Doing so would mean that Bader would miss the entire NLCS, however, and only be eligible to return this year if the Phillies made it all the way to the World Series. Needless to say, that’s a situation the Phillies will surely be hoping to avoid.

Padres Notes: Bogaerts, Bader, De Vries, Gore, Kwan

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The Padres are expected to activate Xander Bogaerts from the 10-day injured list prior to Monday’s game with the Brewers, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.  The shortstop might’ve already been back this weekend except a planned on-field workout on Friday was canceled due to rain, delaying Bogaerts’ return until the start of the six-game homestand that will conclude the Friars’ regular season.

A left foot fracture has kept Bogaerts out of action since August 27, and it wasn’t clear if he would be able to play again before the postseason, even if the injury wasn’t expected to keep Bogaerts out of any October action.  Bogaerts has hit .262/.330/.387 with 10 home runs over 534 plate appearances, for a decent but unspectacular 103 wRC+.  He has displayed some good plate discipline and augmented his work at the plate with 20 steals (in 22 attempts) and very good defense in the view of the Outs Above Average metric (+7).  Jake Cronenworth and Jose Iglesias have handed most of the shortstop duty over the last four weeks, and with Bogaerts back, Cronenworth should return to his usual second base position.

Returning Monday gives Bogaerts six games to ramp up for a postseason trip that has been all but officially clinched.  San Diego seems likely to finish as the NL’s second wild card team, unless the Padres can overcome the Dodgers’ three-game edge in the NL West race, or if the Padres somehow fritter away their five-game edge over the Reds (who hold the third and final wild card slot).

Though the Padres surely wish they’d been able to overtake Los Angeles for the division lead, a 25-22 record since the trade deadline has at least helped San Diego more or less lock up its fourth playoff berth in the last six years.  President of baseball operations A.J. Preller was his typical active self at the deadline, swinging five trades in July to add a variety of roster upgrades.

The many players actually acquired were just the tip of the iceberg, as the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes that “the Padres were in on every top player” even somewhat available at the deadline.  Most of those trade targets were cited on MLBTR’s pages, but Heyman adds that the Padres also had interest in Harrison Bader, who instead went from the Twins to another NL power in the Phillies.

San Diego’s interest in Bader was logical, as the Padres had a clear need in the outfield.  Rather than Bader, the Padres ended up acquiring both Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn from the Orioles for a six-prospect trade package, addressing both left field and first base in one fell swoop.  O’Hearn’s bat has cooled off since the deal while Laureano has played really well, so there probably aren’t any regrets in the Friars’ front office about missing out on Bader, who has exploded since arriving in Philadelphia.

The largest of the Padres’ deadline deals saw Mason Miller and JP Sears acquired from the Athletics for four minor leaguers, including elite prospect Leo De Vries as the headliner.  De Vries was far and away the most prominent prospect moved at the deadline, and it took the inclusion of a controllable young arm like Miller to convince the Padres to move the young shortstop.

This doesn’t mean that other teams didn’t ask.  San Diego was known to have made a push to pry MacKenzie Gore away from the Nationals, even though Washington wasn’t going to move Gore for anything less than a haul.  Heyman writes that the Nats’ ask from the Padres was a five-player package that included De Vries, so it isn’t too surprising that the Padres turned elsewhere.

Steven Kwan was another outfielder on the Padres’ wishlist, and a De Vries-for-Kwan trade was floated between the Padres and Guardians even though Heyman says that neither team wanted a straight-up swap.  Kwan (like Gore) is arbitration-controlled through the 2027 season, so while two-plus years of control is still a lot of an established player, it perhaps wasn’t enough of a long-term add to convince Preller to move De Vries.

From Cleveland’s perspective, the Guardians often pursue at least one MLB-ready piece when trading their veteran assets.  De Vries only just made his Double-A debut after his move to the Athletics’ farm system, and while he is posting strong numbers, he doesn’t turn 19 until next month and isn’t expected to reach the majors until 2027.  While the Guards were only 54-54 on July 31, keeping Kwan has paid dividends, as has helped contribute to the September surge that has now given Cleveland a chance at not just a playoff spot, but even the AL Central title.

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