The Philadelphia Phillies have some key decisions to make on a handful of notable free agents this offseason, and while Kyle Schwarber may be the biggest name, he is far from the only important one with whom the Phillies must concern themselves.

Perhaps the most interesting free agent Philadelphia has on its slate is outfielder Harrison Bader, whom the Phillies acquired back at the trade deadline.

In 50 games with Philadelphia, Bader slashed .305/.361/.463 with five home runs and 16 RBI over 194 plate appearances. On the season overall, he totaled 17 homers and 54 RBI to go along with a .796 OPS while also playing tremendous defense.

But will the Phillies actually re-sign the 31-year-old? Matt Gelb of The Athletic feels it would be a risky move for the club.

"Bader can point to real adjustments he made heading into the 2025 season that unlocked more pull-side power, which also resulted in his highest strikeout rate in five years," Gelb wrote. "It’s a tradeoff modern players are willing to make because teams tend to overlook strikeout rate if the hitter has other redeeming qualities. Bader does. But buying high with a big contract after a career year that came with his sixth different organization is something that will give teams pause."

Bader is a lifetime .243/.313/.401 hitter and has a very checkered injury history, so the idea of giving him a long-term deal is certainly hazardous.

The Bronxville, N.Y. native has always been an elite outfielder, and he did put together a couple of decent offensive seasons during his early days with the St. Louis Cardinals. But whether or not Philadelphia can trust Bader maintaining his production heading into 2026 and beyond is a pressing question.

Let's also remember that the Phillies will not only have to try and re-sign Schwarber on a lucrative deal, but pitcher Ranger Suarez and catcher J.T. Realmuto are also headed toward free agency. President Dave Dombrowksi does not have unlimited funds at his disposal, so he will need to draw the line somewhere.

If Bader's market isn't too robust, perhaps he could return to Philly on a relatively short-term contract. But if he ends up getting a three-year deal featuring a rather fat average annual value? The Phillies would probably be better off passing.

We'll see what Philadelphia decides to do in the coming weeks and months.