The Philadelphia Phillies‘ addition of Harrison Bader means they have some major decisions to make in their outfield.
Philadelphia’s outfield is now a crowded place, which could cost Max Kepler his starting spot in center fielder, unless the Phillies decide to part with Brandon Marsh instead.
The Phillies traded for Bader, a veteran centerfielder with oodles of postseason experience, from the Minnesota Twins for prospects Hendry Mendez and Geramy Villoria, in one of two trades consummated with the Twins on Thursday.
Bader can play any outfield position, and he may have to play them all given the Phillies’ struggles there this year.
Where Will Harrison Bader Play For The Phillies?
Bader is slashing .258/.339/.439 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs in 96 games for the Twins. He expects to be the Phillies’ everyday center fielder, since he has played 721 of his 874 major-league games in that position.
Plus, the Phillies rank tied for 21st in the majors in wRC+ (75) per FanGraphs — for context, 100 is average.
But Bader has also has played left field in 70 games this year — the first time in his career he has played there — while also playing five games in right field. Philadelphia is 25th in the majors in wRC+ by left fielders (79), even though it has created more runs from that spot than from center field.
Which Phillies Outfielder Will Go To The Bench?
Though Marsh has been the team’s primary center fielder, and is having the worst offensive season since joining the Phillies in 2022 based on his OPS+ of 98, Kepler likely will be the odd man out in the Philadelphia outfield.
Kepler, 32, has the second-worst bWAR of any Phillies regular — ahead of only right-fielder Nick Castellanos. He is slashing just .203/.297/.357 with an OPS+ of 80 — 100 is average — and has just plus-2 defensive runs saved in left field, despite 11 home runs and the fact the Phillies signed him as a free agent in the outfield.
Plus, Marsh is a left fielder by trade, who has been playing out of position due to the Phillies’ black hole in center, which is why he has a minus-7 runs saved in center field.
Marsh was a plus-7 in left field for the Phillies last season, and is a plus-19 at that position over his career — and minus-15 in center field — which is why he seems likely to shift over to left while Bader patrols center field.
But even though Kepler seems poised to fall into the fourth-outfielder spot, the Phillies will still need him to contribute this season. Castellanos may need to stay in right field due to his bat — his 101 OPS+ is slightly above average, but he is third on the team in home runs (14) — but he has by far the worst defensive runs saved among right fielders this season (minus-14).
But Kepler has primarily been a right fielder in his career. That means he could be a valuable left-handed bat off the bench or late-inning defensive replacement for Castellanos, since he is plus-47 in defensive runs saved in right field over his career.
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