'I want to play' and 'be on a competitive team': Harrison Bader on why he signed with Twins

Bader signed with Minnesota as a free agent in early February.

New York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS at Citi Field in New York on Oct. 9, 2024. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Harrison Bader wanted an opportunity to play and he wanted to be on a competitive team.

That's why the outfielder took his time finding a home in free agency, and ultimately, why he ended up signing with the Minnesota Twins. Bader, 30, wanted to end up with a deal he was excited about, and that's what he found with the Twins.

"Going into free agency for a second time, the biggest thing is I want to play," Bader said in an interview with MLB Network. "... That's really what I was holding out for. I wanted to play as much (as possible), but I wanted to be on a competitive team, and it's a funky year, for sure, but I'm really grateful. I have a really good support staff behind me with my agents and my family, who allowed me to give me confidence to hold out, and eventually the Twins came, and it was a deal I was extremely excited about because the opportunity was there and the winning culture was there and the drive, starting at the top with (Twins manager) Rocco (Baldelli). It’s just going to be a fantastic opportunity and I’m gonna go out there like I said and just be a winning player, so that’s what I was waiting for and it came through.”

Bader spent last season with the New York Mets and played 143 games, slashing .236/.373/.657 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs. He had previous stops with the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals, who drafted him in the third round of the 2015 MLB draft. Bader's a career .242 hitter with 71 homers and 268 RBIs. The Twins signed him in early February as they started making some free agency moves. Bader believes he'll be able to hit the ground running.

"I think we have one really big common denominator, and that's the game of baseball," Bader said on MLB Network. "And then in between those white lines, you take all your ego, you take everything and you throw it out the window. You go out there and be a winning player, and that revolves around work, that revolves around commitment, that revolves around a lot of things that we’re really familiar with, and that kind of bonds us together. I’m a charismatic guy, I like the energy, but at the end of the day what allows me to settle into a locker room whether it’s new in the middle of the season or at the beginning of the year is that work and my commitment to the craft.”

"I wanted to be on a competitive team, it was a deal I was extremely excited about."

- Harrison Bader on signing with the @Twins pic.twitter.com/UaMAZ5LMSp

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 11, 2025

The Twins begin their spring training schedule on Feb. 22 when they host the Atlanta Braves.

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