Harrison Bader Free Agency Update: Padres join Giants in race for former Yankees CF after losing Juan Soto

With Juan Soto traded to the New York Yankees, other dominos look set to fall in the coming days, including Harrison Bader. The San Diego Padres need a centerfielder after trading Trent Grisham in the Soto trade. Moreover, the San Francisco Giants have been linked to multiple players in this position lately.

As such, Bader is said to have caught the attention of both teams, and MLB Network's Jon Morosi took to Twitter to provide the following update:

Outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee was posted by the Kiwoom Heroes this week and is also being looked at by both clubs, so there could be some way to go before anything materializes.

Giants, Padres, or somewhere else? Landing spots for Harrison Bader explored

Harrison Bader looks set to play for his fourth MLB team next season, having already spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals (2017–2022), New York Yankees (2022–2023), and Cincinnati Reds (2023).

While the Giants and Padres are emerging as top landing spots, the inclusion of former KBO MVP Jung Hoo-Lee could result in another team plausibly swooping in for Bader. However, at present, there are no rumors of that happening.

There are, however, other players that these teams are looking at, most notably the Giants and Shohei Ohtani. While Ohtani is expected to make a decision this week, until he does, it is possible that San Francisco will hold off on other signings.

Given that Bader doesn't appear to have a lot of upside with the bat moving ahead, fans would probably rather see their team sign Lee. Bader, 29, is a couple of years older than Lee, and the former Gold Glove winner's career is in decline.

With Jung-Hoo Lee a more exciting prospect, it feels as though he will be signed first, and whichever team fails to land him will take Bader. As for who that will be, it remains unclear at this time.