Haniger Signs 3-Year Free Agent Contract with San Francisco Giants
12/7/2022 2:15:00 PM | Baseball
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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Mitch Haniger is moving back to the Bay Area.
The Mountain View native, Archbishop Mitty High School (San Jose) graduate and former Cal Poly standout outfielder signed a three-year free agent contract worth $43.5 million with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. The deal includes an opt-out following the 2024 season.
Haniger, inducted into the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame last month, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the compensatory first round (38th pick overall) of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft.
He played briefly for Arizona in 2016 before being traded to Seattle prior to the 2017 season and played for the Mariners before becoming a free agent Nov. 10, two days after Seattle elected not to extend Haniger a qualifying offer for the 2023 season.
Haniger played in 157 games in 2018, hitting .285 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs, and 157 more in 2021, hitting .253 with 39 home runs and 100 RBIs.
In 2022, Haniger hit .246 with eight doubles, 11 home runs and 34 RBIs in 57 games, missing almost three months of the regular season with a high-ankle sprain but helping Seattle reach the postseason for the first time in 21 years by going 15-for-46 (.326) in his final 11 starts with seven multiple-hit games.
Haniger is expected to slot into an everyday role in the corner outfield, according to MLB.com writer Maria Guardado.
"He's a really good all-around player," Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told MLB.com. "I've been a fan of his his entire career. The interest was mutual, which is kind of what you need to make these deals."
Haniger, who turns 32 on Dec. 23, will earn $5 million in 2023, $17 million in 2024 and $15.5 million in 2025. He will also receive a $6 million signing bonus and a one-time assignment bonus of $1 million if he is traded during the term of this contract. He will also make an annual donation to the Giants Community Fund, donating $55,000 in 2023, $85,000 in 2024 and $77,500 in 2025.
Milwaukee traded Haniger and pitcher Anthony Banda to Arizona for outfielder Gerardo Parra on July 31, 2014, and the Diamondbacks traded Haniger to Seattle with infielder Jean Segura for infielder/outfielder Ketel Marte and right-hander Taijuan Walker on Nov. 23, 2016. Haniger was named an American League All-Star in 2018.
Haniger is the second outfielder to sign with the Giants this offseason, joining fellow Bay Area native Joc Pederson, a Palo Alto High School graduate who is likely to draw more at-bats as the designated hitter after accepting a one-year, $19.65 million qualifying offer last month.
The Giants also were pursuing another outfielder with Northern California roots -- Aaron Judge, a graduate of Linden High School east of Stockton -- before the American League MVP elected to return to the New York Yankees on Wednesday.
At Cal Poly, Mitch hit .317 in his career with 26 home runs and 137 RBIs. His 47 career doubles is No. 5 all-time while his 26 home runs is No. 4 and 137 RBIs No. 5.
Haniger was named Big West Field Player of the Year in 2012, Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year in 2010 and was a first-team All-Big West selection in 2012 as well as earning three All-American awards -- second team by Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America and third team by College Sports Madness.
Mitch and his wife of six years, Amanda, have one child.
