The San Francisco Giants and free agent outfielder Harrison Bader have come to terms on a new 2 year, $20.5M contract the club announced Monday.
The addition of Bader was a much needed one for a San Francisco outfield group that ranked last in the Major Leagues last season at -18 outs above average as a unit. By plugging the 31 year old into centre field, it would also allow the Giants to shift Jung Hoo Lee to right field.
Lee, who has an above average arm amongst outfielders, could then help patrol the deepest part of the ballpark in right-centre field, and also keep runners honest with any flyballs coming off the 24 foot high right field wall.
Originally a third-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals, Bader posted a .247/.313/.401 slash line for six different teams since 2017. However, he put together one of his best statistical seasons at the plate in 2025, hitting .277 with a career high 17 home runs, and 54 RBIs.
On the base paths, Bader posted an 85th percentile sprint speed, meaning he could add a base stealing element to the top of the Giants batting order if the club opts to deploy him in that role.
It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Giants who, outside of adding starters Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser on low-cost deals, have failed to make a significant splash. That being said, the team has made it known in baseball circles that they’re still in the market for infield help, primarily at 2nd base.
“We’re just going to keep looking and trying to be opportunistic,” general manager Zack Minasian said earlier this month. “There are still a lot of players out there — free agents, potential trades. You don’t really know where it’s going to go because it takes two teams or two parties to get a deal done, but we’re certainly just exploring everything we can and continuing to be open-minded and see what happens.”
Nico Hoerner and Brendan Donovan have been mentioned as potential trade targets, while veteran free agents such as Jose Iglesias and Ramón Urías have also been linked to the club as potential fall back options if a trade doesn’t materialize. Any thoughts of a major trade or signing are likely out the window at this point, and there remains the possibility that the team could opt to begin the season with Casey Schmitt at 2nd.
Still, as Monday’s deal with Bader shows, the front office appears to be open to continuing to tinker with their roster ahead of Spring Training.
Photo: D. Benjamin Miller. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.