The New York Mets have reached an agreement with free-agent outfielder Harrison Bader on a one-year deal worth $10.5 million, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Bader, 29, split last season between the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds. In 98 games, he batted .232/.274/.348 (69 OPS+) with seven home runs and 20 stolen bases (on 23 attempts). His contributions were worth an estimated 0.6 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference's calculations.
Those marks were beneath Bader's career norms. Even including the 2023 campaign, he enters the new year with a 92 OPS+ in 635 big-league games.
CBS Sports ranked Bader as the 18th best free-agent available this winter back at the start of the offseason. Here's what we wrote at the time:
Bader is a bigger thief than any generative artificial intelligence model. His plunder comes in two forms: 1) stolen bases, of which he set a new career-high in 2023, and 2) would-be hits taken away from the opposition. Bader is a demon in center thanks to his well-above-average speed and arm strength. He's not nearly as enticing at the plate, where he launches the ball at about the same angle as Jorge Soler, Matt Chapman, J.D. Martinez, and a slew of other sluggers who make much, much more authoritative contact. Bader would probably be better off flattening his swing plane and leveraging his wheels. A weak center-field crop should still leave him in demand.
Bader joins a Mets outfield picture that also includes Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, D.J. Stewart, and recent trade acquisition Tyrone Taylor. It's to be seen how the Mets divvy up playing time, though Stewart could see most of his time at designated hitter and Bader's defense is strong enough to play any of the three positions.
