Minnesota Twins Sign Gold Glove Outfielder

After an offseason in which the Minnesota Twins did absolutely nothing for months, the front office has finally put some work out there for the public to see over the last couple days. It all started Tuesday, with the start of spring training just a couple weeks away.

That’s when the Twins signed familiar lefty reliever Danny Coulombe to a one-year deal. To that point, he was the first and only big-league free agent signing of the offseason for Minnesota. On Wednesday, Derek Falvey found the center field help he sought.

Harrison Bader signs with the Minnesota Twins

Over the past few seasons the Minnesota Twins have acquired a right-handed insurance policy for Byron Buxton in center field. Michael A. Taylor worked out pretty well for them in 2023. Last season, Manuel Margot showed us what a bad insurance policy looks like.

In 2025, according to Jon Heyman (NY Post, MLB Network), the Twins will turn to 30-year-old former Gold Glove winner Harrison Bader, who signed a one-year deal with Minnesota on Wednesday.

Harrison Bader to Twins. 1 year deal plus mutual option for 2026

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 5, 2025

Last season Harrison Bader looked like a fit for the Minnesota Twins. Both he and Kevin Kiermaier found $10-million deals as free agents, though. Bader get’s just $6.25 million this year guaranteed.

After posting a .236/.284/.373 line for the New York Mets, that number wasn’t realistic this time around. Bader was a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2018 and won a Gold Glove in 2021.

He owns just a 91 OPS+ over the course of his career, and it seems unlikely the Twins will revive the 101 OPS+ Bader posted across 419 games from 2018 to 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, they did get a resurgence out of Taylor at 32 years old.

What else are the Twins getting in 30-year-old Bader?

Bader posted reverse splits in 2024 with a .681 OPS against righties. Over the course of his career though, the .776 OPS against southpaws outpaces his .669 OPS against right-handers. But where Harrison Bader makes his money and why he is now a Twin is his defense. Last season with the Mets, Bader posted 10 OAA (outs above average) across 1,025 innings.

A sliding catch from Harrison Bader! pic.twitter.com/DSlHPeR1Ky

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 2, 2024

Throughout his career, the Bronxville, NY native has consistently been in the double digits for OAA, which is a very telling defensive statistic. Now entering his 30s, Harrison Bader remains one of the more elite defenders in Major League Baseball.

In signing Bader, the Twins have someone capable of starting on a regular basis should Byron Buxton hit the injured list. He will also provide an opportunity for Buxton to get breathers, and there will be nothing lost defensively as opposed to starting Austin Martin or Willi Castro in center field.

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A mutual option tagged to the deal likely won’t be exercised. If Bader outperforms his contract, he’ll hit the open market again. If he plays anything close to Manuel Margot, Minnesota won’t want him. For now though, this is a perfect fit for a roster that was looking for this exact type of player.