New Giants Outfielder Harrison Bader Relishing Chance to Face Dodgers

The San Francisco Giants are bringing Harrison Bader to the Bay Area and he’s looking forward to the chance to play the two-time defending World champions.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader walks in the dugout. | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have a new outfielder joining the team, which means Harrison Bader gets to experience the Giants-Dodgers rivalry first-hand.

Bader and the Giants reportedly agreed to a two-year deal on Monday. The deal is worth $20.5 million with incentives that can push it to $21 million. San Francisco is counting on him to improve their outfield defense, which was among the worst in baseball. He’s an immediate improvement over Jung Hoo Lee, who was in center field last year. Lee, who is playing on a long-term deal, with likely move to right field.

Even though the signing isn’t official — the Giants haven’t announced it — Bader is already talking about the opportunity to put on a Giants hat and face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a rivalry that spans decades and goes back to each franchise’s New York roots.

Harrison Bader Loves New Challenge

Bader appeared on the The Max Mannis Pod to talk about joining the team, which hasn’t been officially announced yet. The former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder expressed his desire to go up against the Giants’ arch-rival in division play.  

"It's certainly going to take a team effort to win those games, but just being able to compete at the level is going to be awesome,” Bader said. “I love playing in LA. I love playing against the best in the world. They certainly have a bunch of those. And it's a challenge for when it comes because it's coming in hot in April. So, I'm going to do my part, play my game and do my best to help my team win.”

Bader’s defensive ability is unquestioned. Last season he accounted for 13 defensive runs saved while playing for two teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies. For his career, he is worth 51 Defensive Runs Saved and 67 Outs Above Average as a center fielder. But San Francisco hopes that he can help with his bat, which has been inconsistent of late.

He has a lifetime slash of .247/.313/.401 with 88 home runs and 322 RBI. Last year in 146 games with the Twins and the Phillies he slashed .277/.347/.449 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. From a slugging perspective, it was his best season since 2021, when he slashed .267/.324/.460 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI.

But, in 2023 and 2024 he batted below .240 in both seasons, and his on-base percentage was under .300. He played for the New York Yankees, the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets. He has experience with New York rivalries, both current and past.

The Giants face the Dodgers for the first time in April, as they’ll play at Oracle Park on April 21-23. Bader gets his first taste of Giants-Dodgers in Los Angeles with a four-game series at Dodger Stadium from May 11-14.