Giants add Gold Glove defense in center with Harrison Bader agreement

The San Francisco Giants have made little noise this offseason despite their divisional rival and reigning World Series champion, the Los Angeles Dodgers, shaking up the baseball world by signing outfielder Kyle Tucker (four years, $240 million). 

Needing to upgrade their outfield and find someone to roam around center field, the Giants have found their man in Gold Glove outfielder Harrison Bader. He is finalizing a two-year deal pending a physical, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. 

Bader, between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies last season, had his best offensive season. He posted career-highs in batting average (.277), OPS (.796) and home runs (17). He will try to replicate that in San Francisco. 

Harrison Bader will offer Gold Glove defense and add value at plate

Bader, in his career as a center fielder (nine seasons), has been an above-average outfielder with a positive defensive runs saved value (10). While with the Twins (before getting traded), Bader had no errors in 179.2 innings (66 chances), while having three errors in 389.0 innings (110 chances) with the Phillies. 

Signed for his defense, the question for Bader is, can he maintain this level of offense in a difficult place to hit like Oracle Park? Not known for hitting home runs, Bader could utilize the wide gaps in the Giants outfield, which he’ll get to know while patrolling. Bader also hit a career-high of 24 doubles last year. 

Joining Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee and Drew Gilbert, the Giants may have one of the better outfields in 2026, with Bader locking things down up the middle.