SF Giants agree to one-year, $3.5 million deal with 1B LaMonte Wade Jr.

The SF Giants avoided arbitration with first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. on Thursday, agreeing to a one-year contract.

Marc Delucchi | Jan 11, 2024

SF Giants agree to one-year, $3.5 million deal with 1B LaMonte Wade Jr. /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants avoided arbitration with first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. on Thursday, agreeing to a one-year, $3.5 million contract. The agreement was first reported by Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle and has been confirmed by Giants Baseball Insider via a source. The Giants have now finalized deals with the right side of their infield after settling with second baseman Thairo Estrada earlier in the day. Wade's salary will more than double from 2023, when he made $1.375 million.

SF Giants left fielder LaMonte Wade Jr. swings for the fences at Oracle Park (2023). — SF Giants 1B/LF LaMonte Wade Jr. swings for the fences at Oracle Park (2023) / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

In his first season as the Giants unequivocal starting first baseman, Wade got off to an All-Star caliber start. He showcased impressive power alongside his usual standout on-base abilities. However, Wade clearly wore down as the season went on. A solid defensive outfielder, Wade was limited to first base for the majority of the season, which forced worse defensive players like Joc Pederson into left field. It was still a solid first season as the full-time starter, but Wade's final .256/.373/.417 line and 17 home runs were well short of the lofty expectations he set early in the season.

Wade, who was shrewdly acquired by Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi in a trade with the Twins back in 2020, first popped up as an excellent platoon bat and pinch-hitter with the team in 2021, earning the nickname "Late Night" LaMonte for his penchant for big hits during San Francisco's 107-win campaign. Wade received 381 plate appearances, hitting .253/.326/.482 with 17 doubles, 18 home runs, and 56 RBI.

Much like many other prominent contributors in 2021, though, Wade took a step back in 2022. Hampered by leg injuries throughout the season, he hit just .207/.305/.359 with eight home runs in 251 plate appearances. A significant decline in hard-hit rate led to some speculation that the SF Giants would non-tender him in the offseason. However, Zaidi and former manager Gabe Kapler remained confident at the time that Wade would return to form when healthy. His 2023 season validated their thought process.

Published Jan 11, 2024

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).