Harrison Bader could be the Cleveland Guardians' best option to upgrade their lineup.
As spring training gets closer and closer, the Cleveland Guardians still haven’t done anything to improve their lineup. The good news is that there are still free-agent options that could help improve the roster.
It’s no secret where the Guardians need more offensive production from: it starts in the outfield. Yes, Chase DeLauter, George Valera, and C.J. Kayfus should help with that, but they’re all left-handed hitters, and Cleveland must do something to balance out the lineup.
With that, ESPN’s David Schoenfield named the Guardians a fit for remaining, reliably free agent Harrison Bader. On paper, Bader is the perfect candidate to assume a spot on the roster.
The 2025 season was easily Bader’s best offense year of his career. After starting the year with the Minnesota Twins, and ending it with the Philadelphia Phillies, he slashed .277/.347/. And finished with 17 home runs. Cleveland is dreaming of that sort of bat in its lineup heading into next season.
Schoenfield did caution, though, that some of Bader’s numbers may not be sustainable.
"On the other hand, that level of offense was likely a stone-cold fluke. He posted an 80 OPS+ from 2022 to 2024, and his Statcast expected metrics -- .223 average, .364 slugging -- are right in line with previous seasons,” wrote the analyst.
May 21, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins left fielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (21) scores on a single hit by center fielder Harrison Bader (12) in the eighth inning during game one of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn ImagesStill, the Guardians are in a position where they must take a chance on someone in order to get a proven MLB bat into their lineup. With which free agents are available and what Cleveland’s needs are, Bader does seem like a great fit for the Guardians.
As Schoenfield noted, Bader is one of his “reliable contributors,” and the stats back that up.
At his best, he can be the team’s everyday center fielder and provide life at the plate. In 2025, the right-handed hitter logged a .796 OPS. At worst, Bader’s split stats make him a solid platoon option for DeLauter and Valera. The 31-year-old owns a career .760 OPS against left-handed pitchers.
The free agent market is a little bit of log logjam with Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger still unsigned. But once that pair finds their homes, the market could move fast, and it’ll be interesting to see whether the Guardians emerge as a true contender to land Bader.