Phillies to trade for outfielder Harrison Bader, per report

The Phillies will add a right-handed outfielder into the fold ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Philadelphia is finalizing another deal with the Twins to acquire outfielder Harrison Bader. The 31-year-old veteran is batting .258/.339/.439 with 12 home runs in 96 games this season.

The Phillies will send out two prospects: outfielder Hendry Mendez and pitcher Geremy Villoria, according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb.

Bader has fairly even splits against right-handed and left-handed pitching, and he’ll provide a right-handed option for Phillies manager Rob Thomson. In nine seasons, Bader has a .706 OPS, but he’s having one of the better years of his career. Philadelphia’s lineup is heavy on lefties, and its outfield has not been productive this season. While he’s not a big bopper, Bader should provide a boost.

Additionally, Bader is a plus defensive player with 13 defensive runs saved this season, according to Baseball Reference. He has primarily played left field this year, but he’s spent plenty of time in center field and has experience in right as well.

The Phillies traded for Twins closer Jhoan Duran on Wednesday, giving up pitcher Mick Abel and catcher Eduardo Tait to significantly improve their bullpen. Now, they’re on the verge of an addition to the lineup.