Mitch Haniger joins the San Francisco Giants; $43.5 million, three-year contract

The San Francisco Giants made the announcement on Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with outfielder Mitch Haniger. This will fill a vacancy in the Giants' outfield as they pursue Aaron Judge, the American League MVP, as a free agent.

According to sources who spoke with ESPN's Jeff Passan, the agreement is for $43.5 million over three years and allows the player to opt-out after the second year.

Haniger, who turns 32 not long from now, has posted star-type numbers in the two seasons he has been solid, yet has battled with wounds all through his significant association vocation, the vast majority of which he spent in Seattle. He hit .246/.308/.429 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs in 57 games for the Mariners last season, helping the team reach the postseason for the first time in 20 years.

Haniger demonstrated the kind of talent that prompted the Giants to consider a multiyear contract worth $14.5 million per season one season earlier. Baseball-Reference says that over 157 games, he hit 39 home runs, which put him fifth in the AL, and drove in 100 runs while earning 3.9 Wins Above Replacement.

Joc Pederson, an outfielder for the Giants, accepted a qualifying offer of $19.65 million to begin the offseason. It continues with Haniger and could include Judge, who has played most of his career in right field but spent the majority of last year playing center field. Judge, Haniger, and Mike Yastrzemski could play in the outfield, while Pederson plays designated hitter most of the time.

Haniger joined the Mariners in November 2016 after Arizona traded him along with Jean Segura for infielder/outfielder Ketel Marte and pitcher Taijuan Walker. Arizona drafted him in the first round of the 2012 draft.

Haniger put up a.843 OPS in his first season for Seattle, where he became an instant success. His best season was 2018 when he played in 157 games, hit.285/.366/.493 with 26 home runs, and played well above-average right field defense.

After an unfortunate carom caused by a foul ball, Haniger suffered a ruptured testicle the following season, in 2019. He was out for the rest of the season because of the injury, and he also missed a lot of time because of back and core injuries, so he won't play in 2020.

In Seattle, where Haniger contributed numerous crucial hits to propel the Mariners to the brink of the postseason, his return in 2021 was celebrated. He will now play middle in a Giants lineup that scored 11 runs per game but lost three-quarters of its infielders to free agency: third baseman Evan Longoria, shortstop Brandon Crawford, and first baseman Brandon Belt.