4 former Reds players that Cincinnati will regret letting go in 2024

3. Harrison Bader, Outfielder

A lot of Reds fans forget that Harrison Bader was part of the team's roster in 2023. After being waived by the New York Yankees, Cincinnati stepped in and secured the services of the speedy outfielder. Unfortunately for Bader, his time in the Queen City was less than successful.

The Reds made the right move bringing Bader into the fold. It was a low-risk, high-reward acquisition. But the high rewards never came and Bader hit just .161/.235/.194 in 14 games for the Reds before the former St. Louis Cardinals' centerfielder landed on the 60-day IL, ending his tenure in Cincinnati.

Bader was cut loose during the offseason, and despite putting up an OPS of just .622, was able to secure a one-year, $10.5 million contract from the New York Mets. While some baseball experts and pundits look at the Reds' $16 million contract with Frankie Montas as a drastic overpay, the same could be said of the Mets deal with Bader.

There's one thing Bader does very well, and that's field his position. The mix of speed, arm strength, and awareness that Bader possesses makes him one of the best centerfielders in the game and helped him win a Gold Glove in 2021.

But Harrison Bader, much like the aforementioned Nick Senzel, had a ton of success against lefties in 2023. Bader posted an OPS of .936 against southpaws. While that lofty salary is something the Reds were probably right avoid to avoid, Cincinnati may well regret not having that platoon outfielder to help offset the left-handed duo of Will Benson and Jake Fraley.