The SF Giants have agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with veteran outfielder Austin Slater, according to a report by Craig Mish. Slater is entering his final season of team control via arbitration. However, instead of going to arbitration, the Giants front office and Slater decided to come to an agreement beforehand. Slater did undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery earlier this offseason, but is expected to be healthy by the start of next season.
Slater was limited by elbow injuries throughout the 2023 season and was never able to play at 100%. In a lesser role, Slater hit .270/.348/.400 in 207 plate appearances with nine doubles and five home runs. His limitations were most obvious defensively, where he received a notably smaller workload on the grass. Still, he remained particularly effective against left-handed pitching (.288/.361/.439 triple-slash).
Slater was signed by one of the Giants' longest-tenured scouts when he was drafted by the team in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Stanford. He was immediately productive as a professional and reached Double-A before the end of his first full minor-league season. By 2017, Slater had made his big-league debut and was vying for consistent playing time.
While Slater's struggles against same-sided pitching and injuries have prevented him from ever becoming an everyday player, he has also solidified himself as a valuable contributor. Despite never accruing more than 325 plate appearances in a season, Slater has a .258/.346/.402 career triple-slash with 38 home runs and 45 stolen bases in 1,486 plate appearances and, outside of this season, has been an above-average defensive player at every outfield position.
Whether Austin Slater fits with the 2024 SF Giants remains to be seen. The team already has a crowded outfield and is reportedly looking for further upgrades this offseason. With young right-handed hitting outfielders like Luis Matos and Heliot Ramos having success at Triple-A last season, it seems reasonable to think San Francisco's front office could look to move on from Slater to create opportunities for other players.
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