The outfield defense looks a whole lot better today than it did yesterday.
The San Francisco Giants once again entered an offseason saying they intended to get better defensively. And, with Spring Training right around the corner, they’ve finally made good on that promise. According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, on Monday morning the Giants agreed to a two-year deal with free agent outfielder Harrison Bader. According to multiple reports, the deal will pay Bader $20.5 million.
Bader, a 31-year old who bats and throws right-handed, is widely considered one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball, and won a Gold Glove in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year, which he spent on the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies, Bader finished 18th among all outfielders with seven Outs Above Average, and 22nd in Fielding Run Value.
That defense is desperately needed for a team that plans on playing Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee in the grass every day. Bader instantly makes the outfield defense significantly better.
The offense is more of a question mark, and it’s been a roller-coaster recently. Bader was comfortably below average in the batter’s box from 2022 through 2024, posting wRC+ marks of 84, 69, and 85, respectively. But he caught fire in 2025, ending the year with a slash line of .277/.347/.449 with a career-high 17 home runs, good for a .796 OPS and a 122 wRC+. If the Giants get the Bader of last year, they’re getting an All-Star; if they get the Bader of the previous years, they’re getting an excellent fourth outfielder.
Bader has, historically, been a bit of a platoon hitter. For his career, he’s hit left-handed pitching comfortably better than average (106 wRC+) and right-handed pitching comfortably below average (92 wRC+). That, too, was flipped on its head in 2025, when he demolished same-handed pitching (136 wRC+) but struggled when he had the advantage against southpaws (92 wRC+).
Anything he provides on offense is gravy, though — the Giants are bringing him in for the defense. We’ll have to wait and see what Buster Posey and Tony Vitello have to say, but for now, the expectation is that Bader will become the starting center fielder, and Lee will slide over to right field.
Category: General Sports
