Current free agent center fielder Harrison Bader “piques the San Francisco Giants’ interest”, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Bader, age 31, is coming off the best offensive season of his career, posting a .277/.347/.449 slash line with a 3.9 WAR and 17 home runs and 54 RBI’s between a split 2025 season playing for the Twins and then the Phillies.
Bader, who was traded to Philadelphia at the 2025 trade deadline, provided a jolt to the Phillies’ lineup, posting a .305 batting average and an .824 OPS in 50 games. Bader is also known as a great defensive center fielder, posting a 7 OAA (outs above average), which is in the 92nd percentile and ranking in the 84th and 85th percentiles for arm strength and sprint speed in 2025, according to Baseball Savant.
Bader’s Great Defense But Surprising Offensive Output
Bader is well known for playing defense at a high level, winning a Gold Glove as the St. Louis Cardinals center fielder back in 2021. Bader, however, wasn’t known for much on offense before 2025. Bader had previous stints with the Cardinals, Yankees, Mets, and Twins. He didn’t clear an .800 OPS until this year with the Phillies.
Bader’s defensive profile could serve value for a San Francisco Giants team with an incredibly spacious outfield in Oracle Park. The Giants’ primary center fielder, Jung Hoo Lee, had a difficult time patrolling the position in 2025 with a -5 OAA, which ranks in the 11th percentile, per Baseball Savant.
Giants Need To Address Center Field
The Giants also have Heliot Ramos in the outfield. Still, his 2025 defensive profile (OAA:-9) is well below average by defensive standards via Baseball Savant. He does have great arm strength that can be utilized better in a corner outfield spot between left and right field. The Giants also have young center fielder Drew Gilbert, who they acquired at the 2025 trade deadline for relief pitcher Tyler Rogers from the New York Mets, in the outfield fold next year as well, but Gilbert struggled after his MLB debut in 2025, posting a .598 OPS in his first 39 games.
Bader fits the Giants perfectly from a defensive standpoint, and if he can nearly mimic his 2025 offensive production, then that’s a bonus to the team Bader signs with. Whether Bader can duplicate, or even come close to replicating, his 2025 offensive numbers is unknown. Jon Heyman reported that The Kansas City Royals also have interest in Bader as they’re seeking outfield help, and the Phillies have interest in a reunion after a strong (but brief) 2025 season with the team, according to Phillies President Dave Dombrowski.
The 2025 Giants offseason, with a relatively new President of Baseball Operations in Buster Posey, navigating the Giants roster, had the Giants originally major favorites for Tatsuya Imai. Still, reports said they aren’t looking to spend big money on a free-agent starting pitcher.
The Giants did make a splash this past season, acquiring third baseman Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline, and it was reported by Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle that Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge “isn’t off the table” while discussing trades. As for how aggressive the Giants are at this year’s winter meetings and the rest of this offseason, how much they spend, and whether that includes Harrison Bader, remains to be seen.
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