Could the Guardians go after this former Yankees nemesis in free agency? 

In the 2022 American League Division Series, Harrison Bader put together a legacy-building series against the Cleveland Guardians. 

After hitting just .217 in 14 games with the Yankees after being acquired at the trade deadline, Bader hit .267 with three home runs in New York’s five-game series against the Guardians. 

Three years later, Bader is set to enter free agency once again, and, according to one MLB writer, the Guardians could be a “dark horse” for Bader this offseason. 

Harrison Bader could be a free agent target for the Guardians 

Bader spent this season with the Twins and Phillies where he hit .277 with 17 home runs in 146 games. He got even better after a mid-season trade to the Phillies, as he hit .305 with five home runs and 16 RBI while bringing some stability to their previously unstable outfield. 

While his Phillies are still in the postseason hunt, they’re down 2-0 to the Dodgers in the NLDS ahead of Game 3 tonight. 

While Bader struggled with injuries early in his career, he’s played in 140+ games for two straight seasons while providing some pop on offense along with playing quality defense. He has a $10 million mutual option for next season, but the expectation is that he'll enter free agency.

And if he does hit the market, he should have plenty of suitors — one of which should be the Guardians, according to Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller. 

“The fit is readily apparent, as Steven Kwan was the only Guardians outfielder who amounted to anything in 2025. But the idea of this franchise winning a bidding war for a player fresh off the best season of his career is almost incomprehensible. Settling on a "maybe he'll bounce back" flyer for someone like Cedric Mullins is much more Cleveland's speed,” Miller wrote.

While Spotrac’s predictions have Bader getting a two-year, $20.1 million deal, Bader’s strong play this season could result in a bidding war (like Miller mentioned), which could lead to Bader’s price tag rising above the Guardians’ budget. 

But Bader would also be an obvious upgrade in center field. Not only did Guardians center fielders combined for a wRC+ of 69 last season (the third-worst mark in baseball), but they also got negative defensive play from Angel Martínez, who is an infielder by trade.

Not only is Bader coming off a season with a 117 OPS+, but he also is a former Gold Glove winner who has been worth 43 Outs Above Average since the start of 2020, which is tops in baseball among center fielders. 

While the Guardians have plenty of young outfielders who could make an impact next season, they also need a veteran who could help out both on the field and behind the scenes. 

Bader isn’t on the same level as Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger, but he’s still a veteran outfielder who can impact winning who should be a free agent target for the Guardians.