Phillies Acquire OF Harrison Bader from Twins

[phillychuck]

I think I would have liked Alex Call better.

Why? He's a negative defender and Bader has more HR power and is less a SSS good season.

Call has an almost .350 OBP vs lefties career, and over .340 vs righties. Bader’s is .310. I hate watching batters who don’t control the strike zone and swing at anything. Bader is as bad a chaser as Casty. And Bader’s park-adjusted stats are even worse. Call isn’t great but he delivers good at bats.

[zambonir]

One assumes the bat speed comes from both better health and adjustments, perhaps made by the Twins.

His injury history those two years was pretty epic.

2022, plantar fascitis in late June, traded to the Yankees while he was still on his rehab assignment, went back on the IL August 2 and then on the 60-day IL August 25 until late September

2023, oblique strain right out of spring training, was out until May 2, went back on IL with hamstring injury May 30. He was activated and with the Yankees from June 20 until August 30 and then got waived, claimed by the Reds, and back on the IL September 18

Has been healthy for all of 2024 and 2025

[phillychuck]

If he was healthy in 2024 he sure didn’t show it...his xOBA was 85, 15% below an average MLB hitter, primarily because he didn’t walk. He’s at 117 this season, meaning over 2 years he’s about an average hitter. And his weakness is OBP, where the Phils could use a lot of help. It’s a whole team that other than Schwarber and Harper, doses not control the strike zone.

I just don’t know, z, I don’t think he’s much of an upgrade offensively. Perhaps you’re right, if they play him and bench Kepler and put Marsh in LF maybe the defensive upgrade makes a difference.

[zambonir]

They just needed a RHB. And Call wasn't cheap either [I assume two Dodgers prospects > two Phillies prospects as well, even if one of ours was higher up]. Clearly the CF thing was important to them. I guess I'm just not at all worried about Bader regressing. Based on this season alone he's a big upgrade over Kepler. They probably should have signed him instead of Kepler. They thought Kepler had the higher offensive ceiling.

I'll be curious to see how the parts actually fit together, in terms of who plays when an where and who sticks on the roster two weeks from now.

[zambonir]

Not a ton of clarity here but it sounds like Rojas will be an Iron Pig eventually.

Phillies acquire outfielder Harrison Bader from the Twins: ‘He’s going to play a...

[Austinfan]

Rojas needs to play everyday in AAA, they set back his development by bringing him up too quickly, then jacking him around.

[andyb]

They have until Bohm is back to make the decision. We'll see by game time but imagine they'll just send Wilson and a lesser pitcher (Rangel?)) down for today.

With Rojas it is a trickier choice. He is an obvious 14th position player for September and the postseason for defense and pinch running. He has 2 options left since they have not burned this year's option. Do they want to burn the option for 2 weeks and recall him? Or retain both for the next 2 years which would also enhance his trade value?

Tough choice. Starts will not be often with Bader. But the extra option year has worth and it is not as if a couple of weeks of minor league play will change things. He has always needed 3 solid months and never got that.

[julio]

With Rojas it is a trickier choice. He is an obvious 14th position player for September and the postseason for defense and pinch running. He has 2 options left since they have not burned this year's option. Do they want to burn the option for 2 weeks and recall him? Or retain both for the next 2 years which would also enhance his trade value?

Timing would matter here, because optioning Rojas for less than 20 days would not burn an option year. Rojas could be optioned on August 13th, and recalled on September 1st (when the Active Roster expands to 28), and not lose an option year. Bohm is technically eligible to come off the Injured List now (went on effective 7/19), but reports suggest "mid-August" as a likely return date. If that's the 13th or later, the club could option Rojas for the rest of August with no "option year" cost.

[Dirk41]

Very true. They should do him a favor and just move him this off-season

[EastFallowfield]

If the Phils would replace their bad fielding right fielder for late game defense once in a while there'd be more of a reason to keep Kepler or Rojas on the big league roster.

[zambonir]

There's still talk of waiving Kepler and/or calling up Crawford too.

I kind of feel like options won't affect Rojas's value one way or the other. If he's traded he's probably still in the majors all next year as a 4th OF or starter for a bad team. If you're still thinking he's a guy you need to be able to send to AAA easily in 2027 that's not a guy you're giving up much for to begin with.

[Squire]

Rojas was sent down to AAA

[schillingfan]

I laughed when I read Squire’s simple post. All this, but, what If, etc and BOOM it all became irrelevant.

[julio]

I laughed when I read Squire’s simple post. All this, but, what If, etc and BOOM it all became irrelevant.

Well, a great deal of what any of us does, and what we talk about - here and elsewhere - rapidly becomes irrelevant.

Sometimes, we may do or say something that actually changes things, that actually matters. But most of the time... not so much. BOOM pretty much covers it!

The perspective of age.