3 former NY Mets players who’d be a trade match if things didn’t end poorly in Queens

2) Harrison Bader

Harrison Bader did make it through the Mets season in 2024, but his playing time fell off the flat earth map. He was one of the team’s better hitters in the first half of the season. As things went on, he became a zero at the plate while providing them with steady defense in center field.

Center field is becoming a position of need for the Mets. Tyrone Taylor, the player who usurped playing time from Bader last year, isn’t cutting it. Meanwhile, Bader is hitting .254/.331/.436 for the Minnesota Twins. He has 11 home runs and 34 RBI in those 266 plate appearances while primarily playing left field.

Bader has a mutual option for next season at $10 million with a $1.5 million buyout. This escape clause for the team that employs him should make him an appealing trade deadline candidate. As far as the Mets are concerned, it should be a cause of “been there, done that.”

Bader’s early success and big fall in the latter part of 2024 is the biggest concern. If last year was any indication, he’s in for a slump. He went into the All-Star Break batting .273/.312/.420 with 8 home runs and 36 RBI. The numbers are close to what he has put up for the Twins in 2025.

The Mets chose to let Bader walk in free agency and traded for Jose Siri instead. New blood, even with a similar player profile, would make more sense. If the Mets are acquiring a center fielder, let it be a lefty hitter.

There's always a chance Bader could become a Mets enemy. With the Philadelphia Phillies as one of the teams in the search for a center fielder, could he be a match at the trade deadline?