Phillies land veteran outfielder Harrison Bader in trade with Twins

The Philadelphia Phillies continued to bolster their roster ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, acquiring veteran outfielder Harrison Bader from the Minnesota Twins. In return, the Twins received promising 21-year-old outfielder Hendry Mendez - ranked No. 12 in the Phillies’ system by MLB Pipeline - and 16-year-old right-hander Geremy Villoria.

Bader, 31, brings defensive versatility and postseason experience to Philadelphia. He’s batting .258 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs across 96 games this season, appearing at all three outfield spots, including 70 games in left.

A Gold Glove winner with the Cardinals in 2021, Bader owns a career .243 average with 83 homers and 306 RBIs over stints with St. Louis, the Yankees, Reds, Mets, and Twins.


Mendez has impressed at Double-A Reading, hitting .290 with eight homers and 46 RBIs in 85 games, while Villoria has struck out 19 batters over 14 innings in the Dominican Summer League.

Bader is earning $4.75 million this year and holds a $10 million mutual option for 2026 with a buyout that could reach $3 million based on plate appearances.

The Phillies, trailing the New York Mets by half a game in the NL East and holding the second wild-card spot, also made waves Wednesday by acquiring hard-throwing reliever Jhoan Duran from Minnesota in exchange for top pitching prospect Mick Abel and catcher Eduardo Tait.