The Hidden Gems Of Winter: Scouting Three Premier Right-Handed Platoon Bats

[Matthew Nethercott]

As the holiday season stalls MLB Free Agency for a bit, speculation begins to grow about where players will sign. The position player market has been stalled over the past few weeks as some of the bigger names linger on the market, but some other platoon-type bats remain on the market that could make a big impact on contending teams. Here is a look at some of the best right-handed platoon options on the market.

Harrison Bader

Harrison Bader is coming off a massive 2025 season with the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies. At 31, he posted some of the best offensive numbers of his career while maintaining his status as one of the game's premier defensive outfielders. Bader was a key contributor for two contending teams, finishing the year with a 3.2 fWAR. He notably improved his plate discipline and power, surpassing his previous career highs in several categories. The majority of his underlying hitting metrics were poor in 2025, according to Baseball Savant, which might be a deterrent for teams. 

Bader's defense remained "generationally good," according to analysts. A major storyline of his 2025 season was his positional versatility; with the Twins, he often played Left Field to accommodate Byron Buxton in Center, before moving back to his natural Center Field role more frequently later in the year and after his move to Philadelphia. Bader finished the season with +6 OAA, continuing to rank in the upper echelons of outfield range. He also maintained elite physical tools, ranking in the 99th percentile for bursts and the 83rd percentile for jumps.

Ramón Urías

Ramón Urías is coming off a 2025 season where he served as a versatile infielder for both the Baltimore Orioles and the Houston Astros. Known for his 2022 Gold Glove at third base, Urías showed a significant defensive bounce-back in 2025 while establishing himself as a potent threat against left-handed pitching. Urías ended the season with an OPS+ of 88, which is driven by heavy platoon splits. 

After a down year defensively in 2024, Urías returned to form in 2025. According to Baseball Savant, he was a net positive in the field. He recorded +2 OAA, a major improvement from his -9 OAA mark in 2024. Urias finished with a +1 Run Value, placing him in the solid average to above-average tier for major league infielders. He also provides defensive versatility, being able to play first, second and third base.

Austin Hays

Austin Hays spent the season with the Cincinnati Reds after signing a one-year deal. While he remained a productive "platoon-plus" outfielder with a 105 wRC+, his season was marked by a decline in physical tools – specifically his speed and range – partially due to recurring foot and back injuries. His offensive value in 2025 came primarily from his ability to punish left-handed pitching and maintain a respectable power profile. However, his expected metrics (x-stats) suggest he may have overperformed his true contact quality slightly. His 10.4% barrel percentage, according to Baseball Savant, shows that Hays possesses the strength to find the "sweet spot" regularly. His hard-hit rate dipped to 38.4%, which is below league average and dropped from where it was in previous seasons (40.1% in 2023). 

Historically known as a high-energy defender with a "cannon" for an arm, Hays has transitioned into a more average defensive profile as his Sprint Speed has declined. Hays recorded +1 OAA in 2025. This ranks him in the 50th-60th percentile of MLB outfielders. While no longer elite, he is still a "net positive" defender in Left Field.

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[old nurse]

Bader was a gem. After a couple down years in New York, teams might be shying away from him is a reasonable bet. It may be he is hooping for a multi year guaranteed deal. It might be the fan site salary projection sites have him believing he is worth more than any interested team thinks he is worth. 

Urias and Hays seem more like 13th bat roster players than gems, unless recycled iron is a.gem

[Ken Jubert]

Good write up , thanks...

Only quibble of the article was Bader only played on 1 contending team ...

Bader had a good year in 2025 , would the fans like him back , absolutely  !!!

Don't think FO will pay him a higher salary than he played for last year ...

Just for fun , why didn't they ever consider Bader for first base ???

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

15 hours ago, Ken Jubert said:

Just for fun , why didn't they ever consider Bader for first base ???

It would be a waste of his athleticism. He's still a very good outfielder, and derives a lot of his overall value on defense.

[JD-TWINS]

I would assume Twins have guys in minors that can play defense & muster a 88 OPS+ …… Urias is out!

Bader would be a shot in the arm for the roster but is too costly as a Buxton back-up and with Martin’s offensive rise last year, they are redundant in LF. I’d love to sign him but don’t see Team going 2 years with $22M guaranteed.

Hayes - I live in Cincinnati and he is broken down physically. No reason to spend money on a guy that will perform OK for 95 games.

[tim5189]

Bader would be gooder. However, the Twins do have a surplus of outfielders already, even though must are left handed.