Oct 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Harrison Bader before game one of the NLDS round of the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

What Harrison Bader Reunion Actually Could Cost Cardinals

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jan 23, 2026 12:56 PM ET

It's no secret that the St. Louis Cardinals could use a right-handed bat.

When you traded away two key cogs from the middle of the order in Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras, that's going to happen. St. Louis isn't a team that is going to go out and make a massive splash, like the Chicago Cubs did by bringing in Alex Bregman, but there are pieces that the club could add around the edges to improve the organization overall.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Recently, a popular name out there speculated as a fit for the Cardinals has been old friend Harrison Bader. The Bader buzz has gotten loud enough that president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom even was asked about him at Cardinals Winter Warm-up. Bloom acknowledged that there is "room" for a right-handed bat and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that Bader is a possibility.

The Cardinals should have one big move left

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

"Bloom said the Cardinals 'have room for a right-handed' outfielder, and that Bader is a possibility. He declined to answer when a fan asked what Bader was seeking as a contract," Goold wrote.

But, what could it take to get Bader back into the building? Bader remains a free agent and Spotrac currently has his projected market value at just over $20 million over two years. As we inch closer and closer to Spring Training, we very well should start to see short-term deals pop up all over the place as players try to get into camps for a full Spring Training before the 2026 season.

If this market value is accurate, it would be a pretty fair price for a Gold Glove Award-winning outfielder coming off a season with 17 homers, 54 RBIs, and a .277/.347/.449 slash line in 146 games played. The Cardinals can afford a $10 million annual average. They gave Dustin May $12.5 million already this offseason.

So, to sum up, the Cardinals need a right-handed bat. Bader is someone who could fill a hole and has experience in St. Louis. If he's open to a reunion, this is the type of move the Cardinals should be all over.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: