Former Yankees and Mets outfielder Harrison Bader is heading west.
The 31-year-old has agreed to a two-year deal with the Giants, a source confirmed to the Daily News on Monday. The deal is worth $20.5 million and can reach $21 million with incentives.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported that Bader and San Francisco had reached a deal, which is still pending a physical.
A Bronxville, New York native, Bader heard from his local ex-employers this offseason. The Yankees and Mets were among those to previously express interest. The group also included the Orioles, Guardians and White Sox.
However, the Gold Glove-winning Bader wanted a chance to be an everyday center fielder. He will get that opportunity with the Giants, as they can shift Jung Hoo Lee to right field.
The Mets recently addressed center field by acquiring Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox. The Yankees, meanwhile, have Trent Grisham back in center after he accepted the qualifying offer. While they could still use a righty-swinging outfielder for their bench, even in the wake of Cody Bellinger’s agreed-upon return, Bader hasn’t hit lefties well over the last two years.
A reunion with Bader would have made more sense for the Yankees had Bellinger ended up elsewhere, as the former could have platooned with Jasson Domínguez in left field and served as a late-inning replacement for the defensively subpar Martian.
Bader, who played for the Yankees from 2022-2023 and for the Mets in 2024, owns a lifetime .247 average and .714 OPS. He hit .277 with a .796 OPS, 17 home runs, 54 RBI and 11 stolen bases for the Twins and Phillies last year. He also had four Outs Above Average in center and three in left.
GOLDSCHMIDT WANTS TO KEEP PLAYING
After spending the 2025 season with the Yankees, Paul Goldschmidt hopes to continue his career, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. The veteran first baseman is 38 years old and already has 15 MLB seasons under his belt.
Goldschmidt hit .274 with a .731 OPS, 10 homers and 45 RBI last year. The right-handed swinger also posted a .981 OPS against lefties. However, much of his success came early on in his pinstriped tenure; he hit .238 with a .649 OPS and became less effective vs. southpaws over his last 100 games.
With lefty-swinging first baseman Ben Rice expected to play more against left-handers in 2026, it would be a surprise if Goldschmidt and the Yankees got back together. With Rice expected to catch every once in a while, the team can occasionally use Bellinger at first. Oswaldo Cabrera is also a backup option there, and Aaron Boone previously said Amed Rosario would work to add the position to his utility belt.
