Twins fill another need by agreeing to deal with outfielder Harrison Bader

It took more than three months this winter for the Twins to make a move impacting their major league roster.

Now, they’ve made two in as many days.

A day after agreeing to a deal with left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe on Tuesday, the Twins addressed another need Wednesday, coming to terms on a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2026 with outfielder Harrison Bader, a source confirmed.

The deal is worth $6.25 million with an additional $2 million for performance bonuses, per The Athletic, meaning the Twins, who seem to have little payroll flexibility, have now committed $9.25 million this week to free agents. Neither deal has been made official.

Bader, 30, fills a need in the outfield created by Max Kepler’s departure in free agency, adding a right-handed complement to an outfield group that includes Byron Buxton and left-handed corner outfielders Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach.

In recent years, he has primarily played center field and will provide good insurance there for the Twins should Buxton be unavailable, as Michael A. Taylor did a couple years ago.

Bader, a Gold Glove Award winner in 2021, is an eight-year major league veteran who last played for the New York Mets. In 2024, he slashed .236/.284/.373 with a .657 OPS, 12 home runs and 51 RBIs in 143 games played. He’s also a threat on the bases, swiping 17 bags last season, which would have led the Twins.

After addressing two of theirs needs in the past couple days, the Twins’ primary remaining need is at first base. Carlos Santana left in free agency and Alex Kirilloff retired. The Twins could also look to shed or reallocate salary via trade in the coming weeks.

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Fort Myers, Florida, next week, but this front office has shown it’s not opposed to working on roster construction well into spring training.

PHOTO: New York Yankees’ Harrison Bader bats against the Tampa Bay Rays during a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Audette) (Scott Audette, AP)