Ex-Cardinals $28 Million Gold Glover Could Be Logical Reunion Candidate

Should St. Louis give the former homegrown talent another chance?

May 2, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Tyler O'Neill (left) and center fielder Harrison Bader (48) and right fielder Dylan Carlson (3) celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. St. Louis shutout Pittsburgh 3-0. Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals offense forgot to show up for most of the 2024 season and it's tough to imagine next season being any different.

Now that the Cardinals are committed to hitting the reset button, St. Louis must rely on its youthful talent core to revive the weakened lineup.

Although he wouldn't significantly boost the Cardinals' offensive campaign next season, a former St. Louis homegrown talent could be a logical free-agency acquisition to help light a spark in the lineup.

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader is an impending free agent who could be a solid addition to the Cardinals' offense for 2025.

After being selected in the third round of the 2015 draft by the Cardinals, Bader batted .246 with 135 extra-base hits including 52 home runs, 168 RBIs and a .729 OPS throughout six seasons spent playing for St. Louis.

The Cardinals shipped Bader to the New York Yankees at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for 2023 World Series champion Jordan Montgomery.

Since leaving St. Louis, Bader has floundered with multiple injuries that have made it difficult for the 30-year-old to find his groove at the plate.

In 2024 with the Mets, Bader batted .236 with 31 extra-base hits including 12 home runs, 51 RBIs and a .657 OPS in 143 games.

With the Cardinals positioned to reduce payroll this winter, acquiring Bader for an estimated market value of roughly $28 million over a four-year deal, which translates to nearly $7 million annually, according to Spotrac, might be worth pursuing.

Cardinals center fielder Michael Siani, although impressive on defense, hasn't shown much offensive potential and fan-favorite outfielder Lars Nootbaar has fallen short of meeting expectations.

Reuniting with Bader could provide the Cardinals outfielder with a Gold Glove defender who is used to patrolling the outfield at Busch Stadium and might help the offense get going in 2025.

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