Harrison Bader was a huge addition for the Phillies at the trade deadline. His bat came in handy down the stretch, his defense was key in saving runs, and his attitude was infectious and fit in perfectly with the chemistry on the Phillies. Plus, Bader talked about his time in Philadelphia in good terms. Even so, declining his side of the mutual option didn’t come as a surprise. Had he accepted he would have been paid $10-million, which is under what his value on the open market would be as a free agent.
Even with declining the option, Bader will make money. His contract provides for a $3-million payout should he decline his side of the option. Essentially, that means that if Bader were to sign somewhere for $7-million or more he would come out at least where he would have been had he accepted the deal. It’s likely that Bader, who turns 32 in June, will be looking to collect a multi-year deal. It’s unclear whether the Phillies would be in the market to sign him to a longer deal since they are looking to get younger. They also have one of their top prospects in Justin Crawford appearing ready to make the major league roster. All of that makes Bader returning to the Phillies a definite long shot.
By declining the option Bader becomes a free agent and beginning tomorrow (November 6) he is able to negotiate a contract with any team. Until then, the Phillies have exclusive negotiating rights to him.
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