Giants add outfield depth with latest signing

Amid the start of Spring Training, the San Francisco Giants made another roster move Sunday, agreeing to a one-year major league contract with outfielder Will Brennan. The split deal will reportedly pay Brennan $900,000 while in the majors and $400,000 in the minors, with $400,000 guaranteed. To clear a 40-man roster spot, the Giants placed right-hander Rowan Wick on the 60-day injured list.

The Cleveland Guardians non-tendered Brennan, 28, in November. An eighth-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Kansas State, he debuted in 2022 and owns a career .267/.307/.373 slash line with 14 home runs and 79 RBI across 866 plate appearances (269 games). His career 90 wRC+ reflects below-league-average production, and projection systems forecast around a 90 wRC+ over 377 plate appearances with slightly below-average defensive value.

In 2024, his most recent largely healthy season, Brennan hit .264/.309/.388 (98 wRC+) in 114 games. Before a rib cage injury, he owned a .256/.314/.415 line (107 wRC+). After returning from a brief Triple-A stint in early August, he slashed .330/.349/.408 (117 wRC+) to close the year. At Triple-A Columbus, he batted .304 with three home runs and 18 RBI in 35 games last season. Durability has limited his opportunities. Brennan underwent UCL surgery on his throwing arm in June after an outfield assist attempt and later had sports hernia surgery in September. He also dealt with left forearm inflammation in May.

A left-handed hitter, Brennan has been used primarily in a platoon role, amassing a .720 OPS against right-handed pitching (739 PA) and .453 against left-handers (127 PA). His contact profile has translated from the minors (12.6% strikeout rate) to the majors (12.7%), though his walk rate dropped from 8.6% in the minors to 4.4% in MLB. He has 19 stolen bases in 28 major league attempts and 50 in 66 minor league tries, with sprint speed declining from the 73rd percentile in 2023–24 to the 39th percentile last year.

Brennan joins an outfield group featuring Heliot Ramos, Harrison Bader, signed to a two-year, $20.5 million deal to play center, and Jung Hoo Lee, who shifts to right field. He will vie with Drew Gilbert, Luis Matos, Grant McCray, and Jerar Encarnacion for a bench role, while his minor league options give the team added roster flexibility.