SF Giants agree to one-year extensions with two veteran outfielders

The SF Giants agreed to contract extensions with veteran outfielders Austin Slater and Mike Yastrzemski on Friday.

The SF Giants have agreed to one-year contract extensions with a pair of veteran outfielders. They agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with Austin Slater (first reported by Craig Mish) and a one-year, $7.9 million deal with Mike Yastrzemski (first reported by Mark Feinsand). Slater is entering his final season of team control via arbitration while Yastrzemski is entering his penultimate season of team control. The Giants have now avoided arbitration with both veterans. Slater did undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery earlier this offseason, but is expected to be healthy by the start of next season.

SF Giants CF Austin Slater singles in the eighth inning against the Rockies. (2022) / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Slater was limited by elbow injuries throughout the 2023 season and was never able to play at 100%. In a lesser role, Slater hit .270/.348/.400 in 207 plate appearances with nine doubles and five home runs. His limitations were most obvious defensively, where he received a notably smaller workload on the grass. Still, he remained particularly effective against left-handed pitching (.288/.361/.439 triple-slash).

Slater was signed by one of the Giants' longest-tenured scouts when he was drafted by the team in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Stanford. He was immediately productive as a professional and reached Double-A before the end of his first full minor-league season. By 2017, Slater had made his big-league debut and was vying for consistent playing time.

Yastrzemski dealt with a series of hamstring injuries throughout the 2023 season, but was easily the Giants best outfielder when healthy. In 106 games this season, Yaz hit .233/.330/.445 with 23 doubles and 15 home runs. He was also the team's most consistent defensive outfielder in both center and right field.

Unlike Slater, 2023 was the first season Yastrzemski was unable to take on an everyday workload. Since bursting onto the scene in 2019, Yastrzemski has consistently been San Francisco's best all-around outfielder. With two years of team control remaining, Yastrzemski could have some trade value to other teams. However, it's hard to imagine acquiring a significant enough return to justify subtracting him from the roster.

Whether Austin Slater fits with the 2024 SF Giants remains to be seen. The team already has a crowded outfield and is reportedly looking for further upgrades this offseason. With young right-handed hitting outfielders like Luis Matos and Heliot Ramos having success at Triple-A last season, it seems reasonable to think San Francisco's front office could look to move on from Slater to create opportunities for other players.