Former Cardinals fan-favorite signs with the San Francisco Giants

One St. Louis fan favorite found a new home today as the former Gold Glover, Harrison Bader, signed with the San Francsico Giants on a two-year deal worth $20.5 million.

Bader spent six seasons in St. Louis, racking up 11.9 WAR. His best season for the Redbirds came in 2021, where Bader registered a career-high 4.1 WAR to go along with 16 home runs, 50 RBI’s, nine stolen bases and a .267 batting average. Despite playing in just 103 games in 2021, Bader posted his highest home run total as a Cardinal. 2021 was also his only Gold Glove season despite being one of the premier defensive outfielders in baseball.

Although injuries overshadowed his production with St. Louis, fans won’t forget Bader’s positive attitude and impressive diving plays. Former MLB all-star and Cardinals minor league coach Ryan Ludwick had high praise for Bader, as he spoke about his time coaching him: “My God, defensively, there’s no one better out there.’ I didn’t know if there was anybody better in the big leagues at the time. The way he went about his business, the self-confidence, the little bit of swag he had, the way he listened, I was like, ‘Whoa, this is different.” Since Bader was traded to the Yankees from St. Louis, he’s had trouble finding a permanent home, spending his last six seasons with five different teams. With that in mind, he performed quite well in 2025.

Last year, Bader had a breakout season with the Minnesota Twins before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline. Bader hit a career-best 17 home runs and drove in 54 RBIs. He also tallied 124 hits with a .277 batting average, both of which were career-highs as well. Although he played less frequently with the Phillies than the Twins, Bader was a valuable defensive substitute and even earned some pinch-hit opportunities due to his increased power.

Now with the Giants, Bader will look to improve on a breakout 2025 by reaching 20 home runs for the first time in 2026. All the while Cardinals fans will be rooting for their former centerfielder as he continues his career, entering his 10th big league season. The Cardinals are set to face the Giants for the first time in 2026 on September 7th in San Francisco.