After a false report, the San Francisco Giants ended up signing a free-agent outfielder Tuesday night.
And no, it wasn't Aaron Judge.
Instead, the Giants reportedly inked former Seattle Mariner Mitch Haniger to a three-year, $43.5 million deal, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. While San Francisco signed the oft-injured veteran that plays in the outfield like Judge, it won't stop the Giants from trying to load up and make both Haniger and Judge a part of a new-look outfield, per Passan.
Haniger could just be some insurance in case Judge chooses to play elsewhere next season, but the Giants are viewed as having a "legitimate chance" to sign the slugger who belted an American League record 62 home runs this past season.
Haniger doesn't even come close to producing the buzz that signing Judge would, but he's a solid addition to San Francisco as long as he can stay healthy. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has struggled with injuries throughout his career, including this past season when he played in just 57 games and logged a .246 batting average to go along with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs.
If Hangier can keep from being on the injured list for an extended period of time, he's a formidable hitter. He was an All-Star in 2018 and in 2021, he batted .253 with 39 homers and 100 RBIs.
Haniger seemed to have plenty of other suitors this offseason, including the Boston Red Sox, who are in need of a third outfielder to go along with Alex Verdugo and Kiké Hernández. But like other players the Red Sox reportedly had interest in, they will have to watch Haniger play for a different team.
And as it might turn out, Haniger could just be the appetizer to the Giants pulling off the main course signing of the offseason with Judge.
