The Minnesota Twins have been relatively quiet this offseason but finally made their equivalent of a splash this week. After signing left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe on Tuesday, the Twins added outfielder Harrison Bader on Wednesday to fill yet another need on the roster. Bader’s deal is worth a guaranteed $6.25 million plus up to $2 million in bonuses and includes a mutual option for 2026.

The outfield was sure to be a focus for the Twins who desperately needed another depth support piece. After declining the mutual options of Manuel Margot and Max Kepler, the Twins were left with oft-injured start Byron Buxton along with the left-handed bats of Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner as projected starters. Bader for all intents and purposes is certainly a glove-first type of player. From 2018 to 2024, he has been credited with 75 Outs Above Average, the top mark among all outfielders in that span. His tally of 48 Defensive Runs Saved puts him sixth in the majors overall.

The defensive versatility will be a crucial role for Bader as he serves as a truly capable center-field fourth outfielder. Buxton is a fantastic center fielder in his own right, but he has struggled to stay on the field in his career. He has never played more than 140 games in a season and has only played more than 92 games in a season twice, with the 102 games played in 2024 serving as a career-high. Keeping Buxton healthy is sure to be at the top of the Twins priority list, making the acquisition of Bader a legitimate pick-up to play Gold Glove-caliber defense to spot Buxton and the other outfielders. More regular opportunities to DH for Buxton may rob him of some of his overall value, but having Bader capable of playing in the field could help him provide more offensive value by actually playing.

Offensively, Bader isn’t much to write home about. Playing for the New York Mets last season, Bader slashed .236/.284/.373 with 12 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 143 games. His efforts resulted in just an 85 wRC+, but his speed and defense made him worth 1.3 fWAR. He owns a career 23.9 K% and 6.9 BB%, both of which are in line with what Twins outfielders produced in 2024. He is prone to groundballs but at the end of the day Bader’s offensive performance metrics are near league-average.

While Bader may be considered a fourth outfielder, he will likely still get plenty of playing time in a platoon role as a right-handed bat. Bader had reverse splits in 2024 but has hit .249/.314/.461 against lefties in his career for a 109 wRC+. That’s compared to a .239/.303/.367 line and 84 wRC+ against righties. He can help balance the outfield mix as Buxton is the only other right-handed primary outfielder, and although there are players like Austin Martin and Willi Castro capable of fitting in the left field mix, they may be needed more on the infield where there are still plenty of question marks and injury concerns.

The Twins currently have a full 40-man roster and will need to clear space for Coulombe and Bader. The offseason has been quiet due to notable constraints in the front office, the lack of revenue expected in 2025 with MLB handling broadcasting rights for the Twins, and the team is currently for sale. Clear financial constraints may insinuate more payroll subtractions to accommodate these moves but only time will tell is that is the case for Minnesota.