Brewers linked to Phillies second-half phenom

The Phillies acquired Harrison Bader ahead of the trade deadline last summer, and he provided an instant spark in a lineup that wound up winning the National League.

If the Brewers trade Peralta, Bader could be an ideal last-minute addition to a lineup looking for some punch.

“Bader, 31, batted a stellar .277/.347/.449 in 501 plate appearances with the Twins and Phillies in 2025,” Matthew Trueblood points out for Brewers Fanatic. “He’s lost a step in center field, but he’s a markedly above-average left fielder and a lefty-masher who figured some things out last year. He’d posted ugly numbers in the previous two seasons, though, and given his age, he’s not finding the eight-figure salaries or multi-year offers he’d hoped for this winter. He would fit gorgeously into the team’s defensive plans and add some punch against southpaws.”

Signing a veteran like Bader would allow Milwaukee to effectively reallocate the savings from a potential Peralta deal into a high-floor, high-reward outfielder who stabilizes the defense.

By pairing his veteran presence with their emerging young core, the Brewers could enter 2026 with a more balanced roster capable of maintaining their dominance in the NL Central.