San Francisco Giants sign former Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader to two-year deal
According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, outfielder Harrison Bader and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a two-year contract. The deal is still pending the completion of a physical.
The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported that Bader's new contract with the Giants guarantees him $20.5 million. The outfielder can also earn an additional $250K worth of incentives each season.
Earlier in the offseason, Rosenthal reported that Bader was seeking a three-year contract, but he had to settle for just two years.
Bader will most likely be the Giants' starting center fielder in 2026. Jung Hoo Lee was their main center fielder last season, but he struggled significantly, posting -5 Outs Above Average. Lee will now likely be San Francisco's primary right fielder.
During the 2024-25 offseason, the Minnesota Twins signed Bader, now 31, to a one-year, $6.25 million contract with a mutual option for 2026. In July, the Twins traded Bader to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielder Hendry Mendez and right-hander Geremy Villoria. Bader declined his 2026 option after the season ended.
Bader surpassed the Twins' expectations in his short time with the organization, posting 2.7 bWAR and a .258/.339/.439 (113 OPS+) slash line while playing spectacular defense in left field and occasionally center field to give 2025 Silver Slugger Award-winner Byron Buxton rest. Upon being traded to the Phillies, Bader performed even better at the plate, hitting .305/.361/.463 (124 OPS+) with five home runs in 50 games with the Phillies while mostly playing center field. He missed time during the NLDS between the Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers after injuring his groin in Game 1 of the series.
Bader began his MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. He posted 11.9 bWAR and a 98 OPS+ over parts of six seasons with the Cardinals before being traded to the New York Yankees for left-handed starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery in early August of 2022. He ended up being a postseason hero for the Yankees, as he posted a 1.262 OPS with five homers in nine playoff games with New York in 2022. However, he struggled during the 2023 campaign, which led to the Cincinnati Reds claiming him off waivers for the last month of the season.
Bader, who played in just 14 games with the Reds, signed with the New York Mets in the 2023-24 offseason. He posted 0.9 bWAR and an 86 OPS+ for the Mets. He signed his deal with Minnesota the following offseason.