SF Giants agree with outfielder Harrison Bader on two-year deal: report

The Giants’ outfield defense graded out as among the worst in the majors last season. With spring training approaching, the team addressed that weakness by signing the best defensive outfielder left on the market.

San Francisco has reportedly agreed with free-agent outfielder Harrison Bader to a two-year, $20.5 million contract, giving the Giants a defensive savant who’s equipped to roam Oracle Park’s spacious outfield.

The 31-year-old Bader is a one-time Gold Glover with +67 outs above average and +51 defensive runs saved as a center fielder over his nine-year major-league career. Bader totaled +7 outs above average last season, and since his debut in 2017, only Kevin Kiermaier (+74) has more outs above average in center field. He became a free agent after declining his $10 million mutual option with the Phillies.

Bader’s defensive prowess will be invaluable for the Giants, which ranked last in outs above average (-18) and 28th in defensive runs saved (-21) last season. Jung Hoo Lee, in particular, was worth -5 outs above average and -18 defensive runs saved.

With Bader in the mix, Lee will likely slide over to right field. Lee, 27, has exclusively played center field since signing a six-year, $113 million deal with San Francisco ahead of the 2024 season, but Lee’s athleticism and arm (91st percentile in arm strength) could allow him to become an above-average defender. Bader’s range could also help left fielder Heliot Ramos, who was worth -6 defensive runs saved and -9 outs above average last season.

“Without a doubt, defensively, I wanted to sharpen up my skills there,” Lee said on Saturday at the Giants’ FanFest tour through an interpreter. “So, a lot of training in the offseason focused on my work on my defense in the outfield. Really happy about the strides I made and excited about next season.”

Bader, who has a career 96 OPS+, is coming off the best offensive season of his career, one where he posted career-highs in batting average (.277), on-base percentage (.347), OPS (.796), home runs (17), RBIs (54) with the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies. Despite his success at the plate, Bader projects to be due for some regression.

Last season, Bader had the second-highest difference between his actual batting average and expected batting average (.220). Additionally, Bader had the sixth-highest difference between actual slugging percentage (.449) and expected slugging percentage (.374). There’s also Oracle Park, which will diminish Bader’s offensive output as well.

Along with his defense, Bader provides the Giants with some much-needed speed. Over the last four seasons, Bader has swiped 65 bases and posted 85th percentile sprint speed last season. Last season, San Francisco’s 68 steals ranked last in the National League.

Bader could be the Giants’ last significant additon of the offseason, one where they’ve added two starters (Adrian Houser, Tyler Mahle), two relievers (Sam Hentges, Jason Foley) and a backup catcher (Daniel Susac). Still, it’s possible that San Francsico continues looking for ways to add before pitchers and catchers report in two weeks.

The Giants aggressively pursued Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams according to a recent report from The Athletic but Washington’s front office rebuked the deal. San Francisco has also been connected to the Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan, a pair of second basemen with track records of productivity.

Bader was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third-round of the 2015 MLB draft, making his debut with the Cardinals in ’17 and playing with St. Louis until being traded at ’22 trade deadline. Over the last three seasons, he’s spent time with the New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Twins and Phillies.