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SF Giants re-sign OF Mike Yastrzemski to one-year, $6.1 million deal

The SF Giants avoided arbitration with outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, agreeing to a one-year, $6.1 million contract prior to the deadline.

Marc Delucchi

SF Giants re-sign OF Mike Yastrzemski to one-year, $6.1 million deal
SF Giants re-sign OF Mike Yastrzemski to one-year, $6.1 million deal /
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The SF Giants have avoided arbitration with outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, agreeing to a one-year, $6.1 million contract, per a report by ESPN's Jeff Passan. Yastrzemski had a down year with the Giants this season but has been one of the team's most consistent contributors over the past four years.

Yastrzemski, the grandson of Hall of Fame outfielder Carl Yastrzemski, spent the first six years of his pro career in the minor leagues with the Orioles. However, Yastrzemski reached another level after he was traded to the Giants in 2019. He posted a 1.090 OPS at Triple-A and received his first big-league call up, establishing himself as an everyday player with a .272/.334/.518 line with 21 home runs in 107 games.

SF Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski high-fives third-base coach Mark Hallberg during their game against the Rockies on September 22, 2022.
SF Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski low-fives third-base coach Mark Hallberg. (2022) / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Yastrzemski was one of the best outfielders in MLB, hitting .297/.400/.568 with 14 doubles, 4 triples, and 10 home runs in 54 games. While the Giants fell short of the playoffs, Yastrzemski still finished eighth in National League Most Valuable Player award voting.

Over the past two seasons, though, Yastrzemski's productivity at the plate has dipped. In 2022, arguably his worst ever professional season, Yastrzemski just .214/.305/.392 with 31 doubles and 17 home runs in 148 games. However, he offered consistent value defensively and on the base paths. Yastrzemski can be limited at times in center field but is one of the best right fielders in the league.

Looking ahead, the Giants are confident Yastrzemski will bounce back from his recent struggles. As a left-handed pull hitter, he is also well positioned to benefit from the MLB rule changes that will ban extreme shifts.

Improved depth around Yastrzemski as well could go a long way towards helping him return to previous levels. He struggled mightily against left-handed pitchers this season. However, injuries prevented the Giants lacked from platooning him more consistently. San Francisco's front office may be looking to change that next season.

The SF Giants avoided going to arbitration with Mike Yastrzemski this offseason. If he can rekindle his previous success, it could go a long way towards helping the team return to playoff contention. He remains under team control via arbitration through 2025.

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Marc Delucchi
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).

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