Will the San Francisco Giants leave center field to Lee Jung-hoo in the 2026 season? Looking at the current trends, it seems more likely that it is not.
The San Francisco Chronicle, a leading San Francisco media outlet, reported that the Giants are continuing to explore the outfield market and are interested in Harrison Bader, reporting the club’s news ahead of the winter meeting on the 8th (Korea time).
Veteran Bader, who played nine seasons in the major leagues, played 146 games last season for two teams, the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies, with a batting average of 0.277 on-base percentage of 0.449 with 17 home runs and 54 RBIs.
사진 확대 Harrison Bader is a former Gold Glove center fielder. Photo = MK Sports DB
What stands out more than hitting is defense. In 2021, he won the Gold Glove while playing in the starting center field for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Last season, he played 562/3 innings in center field, showing compliance with DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) +6 and OAA +3.
Left and right field can also be seen, but considering his defensive ability, it seems to be the most reasonable option to use him as a center fielder unless there is another alternative.
San Francisco seems to be working hard to strengthen its outfield early this offseason. He acquired Justin Dean from the Los Angeles Dodgers as a waver claim and brought in Joey Wimmer from the Miami Marlins in a trade.
Both of these are players who focus on defense rather than hitting. This shows the direction of San Francisco’s recruitment.
사진 확대 Lee Jung-hoo played as the main center fielder last season, but his defensive performance was not good. Photo = AP= Courtesy of Yonhap News
San Francisco’s main center fielder Lee Jung-hoo recorded DRS-18 and OAA-5 last season, recording the worst center fielder in the league. There were times when they showed good defense, but they had difficulty adapting to the outfield of Oracle Park, a home stadium with a wide right-center and a strong sea breeze.
Lee Jung-hoo was not the only responsibility for the poor San Francisco outfield defense, but it is undeniable that he took a significant stake.
“MLB Trade Rumors” predicted that Lee Jung-hoo may be better off as a right fielder as he has strong arm strength.
In this regard, Buster Posey, president of the Giants’ baseball operations division, replied, “I think so,” when asked at a general manager’s meeting last month, “I think Lee Jung-hoo can continue to see center field,” but added, “There is no question that our entire outfield group needs to be better in defense. This is something we need to evaluate. Once we form a coaching staff, we will have to discuss what adjustments he needs to make and what our thoughts are so that he can develop his defense,” he said, emphasizing the need for improvement in the outfield defense.
[KIM JAE HO, MK Sports Reporter]