Padres Interested in Former Gold Glove Outfielder

The San Diego Padres need to replace Trent Grisham in center field. One free agent fits the bill.

After completing a blockbuster trade sending Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees late Wednesday night, the Padres now have their eyes set on a potential replacement in the outfield.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Padres have their eyes set on signing free agent center fielder Harrison Bader, who spent last season with the Cincinnati Reds.

The Giants and Padres are active on center fielders, including free agent Harrison Bader.

Jung-Hoo Lee is of interest to both clubs. Credit to @JonHeyman for his reporting on Lee's robust market.@MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 7, 2023

In his eight-year career, Bader has not been much of a threat with his bat. The best offensive year of his career came in 2021, when he hit .267 with 16 home runs and 50 runs batted in for the Cardinals. He's appeared in parts of seven seasons because of his elite outfield glove.

In 2021, Bader won a Gold Glove award with the St. Louis Cardinals. That year, he held a fielding percentage of .990 in 101 starts in center field. He also had just three errors and had 15 defensive runs saved.

An underrated part of Bader's game that isn't always talked about is his arm strength. According to Baseball Savant, in his Gold Glove season, he was tied with outfielder Hunter Renfroe and ranked ahead of Julio Rodriguez, Tyler O'Neill, and Cody Bellinger for arm strength at 91.7 mph per throw.

Aside from having a tremendous arm, Bader possesses great athleticism, allowing him to track down almost any ball in the outfield faster than his peers. He's also willing to put his body on the line to make the great diving catch.

I’ll tell ya this, the one guy in my mind that would be elite if he got his bat right would be Harrison Bader. His speed and defense are game changers. And if the bat and BB% got there, he’d be a top player in the NL. #SpringTraining @Cardinals pic.twitter.com/plB0Nvir8y

— Greatest Show on Dirt (@greatestondirt) February 26, 2020

Bader wouldn't exactly fill the lineup void created by the absence of Soto, but his defense could shore up the loss of Grisham. He would also be an affordable option for a team needing to cut payroll, coming off a 0.6-WAR season in which he earned $5.2 million.