has covered all three outfield positions in his career, but the vast majority of his playing time has come in center field. That shouldnt come as any surprise. Baders bat is poor, to say the least; he has a career .698 OPS and 90 wRC+. However, most teams can stomach sub-par offense at a premier defensive position like center field, and Bader isnt just any defender. With 50 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and 76 Outs Above Average (OAA) in his eight-year MLB tenure, Bader is one of the best outfielders the game has to offer. Since his debut in 2017, only four active outfielders have accumulated more DRS, and none has more OAA. Thats the kind of player almost any team would want in center field. Almost is the key word in that sentence. Of those four active outfielders with more DRS than Bader over the last eight years, one is . Buxton also ranks second to Bader in OAA, and on a per-game basis, Buxton far outpaces Bader in both metrics. On top of that, Buxton is the superior hitter, with an .844 OPS and 129 wRC+ over the past six seasons. And, of course, Buxton just so happens to be the starting center fielder (and the longest-tenured player) on the Twins the same team with whom Bader signed earlier this month. When the Twins signed Bader, one might have thought his primary role would be as a backup for the oft-injured Buxton. Bader is rather injury-prone himself, and both players might benefit from splitting time at the demanding defensive position. Yet, it seems as if that wont be Baders only job. On Monday, reported that the righty-batting Bader is expected to take over for either or in a corner spot when the Twins are facing a southpaw starter. To that point, manager Rocco Baldelli told Helfand that Bader was more likely to play left field than right, given the outfield dimensions at Target Field. Earlier today, provided further details about Baders role in Minnesota. Hayes writes that the Twins will have the 30-year-old play left field regularly, and he Christian Roa Jersey will see a significant amount of playing time at the position. Perhaps the Twins are hoping that Baders bat will play up if he has the platoon advantage more often. After all, his career 109 wRC+ against left-handed pitching would look perfectly acceptable in a corner spot. Then again, his offense has dropped off in recent years; his 95 wRC+ against lefties from 2022-24 might be more representative of the kind of hitter the Twins will get in 2025. Thus, the best way for Bader to contribute as a left fielder is to do what he does best: provide top-tier defense. Considering his strong track record in center field, one would think Bader could thrive at an easier defensive position. Indeed, it might take him a bit of time to adjust to the new role (hes only played 13 MLB games in left) but his elite range and strong arm should play anywhere in the outfield. Whats more, his declining sprint speed it has dropped in each of the past three years, going from the 97th percentile to the 74th should be le s of a concern in left. All told, left field still isnt the best place for a player of Baders skill set, but if the Twins are concerned about starting Larnach (career 60 wRC+ in 187 PA vs LHP) and Wallner (career 44 wRC+ in 108 PA vs LHP) against lefties, its not the worst idea to prioritize defense in left field instead. With all that said, Bader could still end up playing most of his games in center field. After all, Buxton has not started more than 87 games in center in a single season since 2017. So, there is little doubt the Twins signed Bader to be an insurance policy for Buxton. Yet, it seems as if that wasnt the only reason, and Bader is going to be more than just a well-compensated backup in Minnesota. When Buxton needs a day off, the Twins will hardly lose a step (defensively) in center. Meanwhile, on days when Buxton and Bader are both patrolling the gra s, this team will have one of the best defensive outfields in baseball, regardle s of whos standing in right. Jesus Luzardo Jersey