The New York Mets are making significant changes to their roster for 2025, particularly in the outfield, with the additions of Juan Soto and Jose Siri this offseason. These moves strongly suggest that one of their current outfielders, specifically Harrison Bader, will no longer be with the team. According to FanSided’s Zachary Rotman, Bader, who signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Mets, is expected to be let go.
Rotman points out that, following the Mets’ offseason moves, it became increasingly unlikely that Bader would return. The acquisition of Jose Siri, who is a younger, more powerful version of Bader, essentially sealed the deal. With both Siri and Tyrone Taylor under team control, the Mets have no place for Bader on the roster moving forward. Despite his defensive prowess, Bader is entering a relatively weak free agent market, and it’s expected that he will quickly find a new home. Bader played 108 games for the Mets last season, but his performance declined towards the end of the year. In the second half, he posted a dismal .167/.230/.283 slash line, hitting just four home runs during that stretch, and was relegated to a smaller role, starting only two games in the postseason.
The Mets have already made significant financial commitments to strengthen their outfield, including a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal with Juan Soto, the largest contract in MLB history. With the addition of Soto and Siri, the team has invested heavily in its outfield and no longer requires Bader’s services. As a result, it seems inevitable that Bader will move on, with the Mets shifting their focus to their newly assembled outfield.
