Mets signing Harrison Bader helps, but more offense is needed

Harrison Bader is a sensational defensive outfielder, a difference-maker with a glove who will impact any team’s run-prevention with his work in center field. That makes him a smart signing for the Mets, who have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the former Yankee, according to SNY’s Andy Martino.

New baseball boss David Stearns has made it abundantly clear that he prizes defense, and this is a strong up-the-middle addition for a team still trying to find enough pitching to dream of being competitive in the brawny National League.

Bader offers the Mets the flexibility to shift Brandon Nimmo to left field, at least part of the time, and also gives them insurance of sorts for right field, where 35-year-old Starling Marte is looking to rebound from an injury-plagued season.

In a vacuum, all good, right? The Mets, who needed to improve defensively over their 2023 glove story, inked a proven defensive stud. But are any teams’ offseason moves taken only in a vacuum, especially with a squad that still must add hitting and pitching help? 

If there’s no upcoming move to deliver real thump to a lineup that sorely needs it, the Mets’ whole offseason runs the risk of feeling underwhelming, regardless of their planned timetables and windows to win.

Bader is not exactly the kind of threat needed by a team that averaged just 4.43 runs per game in 2023 (4.62 was the MLB average). The Mets were 20th in runs scored, 25th in batting average, 20th in on-base percentage, and 18th in both slugging and OPS.

In 98 games last year between the Yankees and Reds, Bader had a .232 average, .274 on-base percentage, .348 slugging percentage and .622 OPS. He hit seven homers and stole 20 bases. Over his seven-year career, Bader has a slash line of .243/.310/.396 and a .706 OPS.

Oh, he’s shown flashes offensively, so maybe there’s more in there. As a scout from another organization put it, Bader is “still young with interesting tools.”

He had a .785 OPS and 16 homers in 2021, though he played only 103 games. He turbo-charged the dreams of Yankee fans in the 2022 postseason, smacking five home runs and batting .333 in nine playoff games. He also got off to a fast start for the Yanks in 2023 with five homers and a .880 OPS through the first 20 games.

Still, the Mets should supplement with a slugger such as J.D. Martinez or Jorge Soler, to serve as a primary designated hitter. Or add Justin Turner to provide DH pop and perhaps additional insurance at third base once a week or so.

Bader, who will turn 30 in June, also has had trouble staying healthy in recent seasons. Over the past three years, he’s played in only 287 of a possible 486 regular season games. That’s just 59 percent. For his defensive value to pay off, he’s got to play.

When he does, he has real impact. Bader has the third-most Outs Above Average among outfielders since 2020, behind only Trent Grisham and Michael A. Taylor, according to MLB’s Statcast. That’s key for a team that had minus-25 Defensive Runs Saved overall last year (25th in MLB), according to the Fielding Bible.

While Nimmo has done a remarkable job of making himself into a regular center fielder, he’s no Bader there. Depending on how much time Nimmo spends in either outfield corner, perhaps that saves him some of the wear-and-tear of playing center, the most demanding outfield spot. Maybe that helps enhance Nimmo’s real strength – offense.

However new manager Carlos Mendoza and the Mets plot the playing time, Bader gives them an exceptional outfield glove. There’s a nice reunion vibe since Bader will join his former college teammate at Florida, Pete Alonso, in Queens. It’s just a one-year commitment, so it’s nothing that would alter long-term payroll concepts.

By itself, signing Bader is a helpful move. If the Mets do the right thing and add to their offense, too, it becomes even more likable.