SAN FRANCISCO -- With the first significant roster decision of the Buster Posey era, the Giants made sure one of Farhan Zaidi's best additions will be sticking around.
Mike Yastrzemski agreed to a one-year, $9.25 million deal, avoiding arbitration, per a source. The deal, first reported by MLB.com, gives the Giants a set outfield for now, although they could still add or make a trade before the start of spring training. The Giants currently have Yastrzemski in right, Jung Hoo Lee in center and Heliot Ramos in left.
Yastrzemski was the most interesting tender decision for the Giants, but he ended up getting a nice raise after another strong defensive season. He made $7.9 million last season.
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While he got off to a slow start at the plate, Yastrzemski finished with a wRC+ of 106 and hit 18 homers while becoming a Gold Glove Award finalist for the second time.
Yastrzemski was worth 1.6 fWAR for the second straight year and is viewed by the new regime as being a positive presence in the clubhouse. He fits in well with Posey and Zack Minasian's desire to build around pitching and defense and also provides insurance in center should Lee have any issues as he returns from shoulder surgery.
The Giants will explore the free agent market, but they feel like they have promising outfield depth, with young players Luis Matos, Grant McCray and Marco Luciano waiting in the wings. Yastrzemski has been viewed as a valuable swing piece because of his ability to play all over the outfield.
"Yaz ended up finishing with a productive year," Minasian said on this week's Giants Talk Podcast. "He's a quality defender, can play all three spots, so certainly we're happy to have those three. Like anything else, any time there are available players it's going through the process and trying to determine if the cost is worth it."
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