The Giants hoped the move to right field would clean up Jung Hoo Lee’s defense. So far, it hasn’t delivered the reset they wanted.
Lee was in the middle of another rough night Friday against the Boston Red Sox, when a sixth-inning miscue helped turn a manageable play into extra bases. Wilyer Abreu lined a ball straight at Lee, the ball popped off his glove, and the Giants outfielder took several steps in before backpedaling late. The play was scored a triple, another run crossed, and San Francisco went on to lose 6-4.
That moment fit a bigger trend. Lee had struggled in center field last season, and the Giants moved him to right in hopes that the switch would suit him better.
He does have the tools for the spot: he runs well and owns a strong arm. But his sprint speed has dropped in each of the past three years, and the defensive numbers in right haven’t been kind.
He has posted -3 Outs Above Average, -4 Fielding Run Value, and -5 Defensive Runs Saved there. He has also logged time in center, with similar results.
San Francisco’s outfield defense was one of the club’s weak spots a year ago, and Lee and Heliot Ramos were among the poorest-graded defenders in baseball. The Giants made a clear effort to address that issue over the offseason when they signed Harrison Bader to a two-year deal.
Bader, one of the sport’s top defensive outfielders since debuting with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017, was supposed to be a major upgrade.
Instead, injuries derailed that plan. Bader played in just 30 games because of leg and foot issues, then his season ended after a scooter incident worsened the foot injury. There’s a good chance he has already played his last game for San Francisco.
Lee’s latest slip also came against a backdrop of a few recent defensive mistakes. The three-year veteran went through a similar stretch in the second half of last season, and the Giants may have to consider whether fatigue is part of the problem. If it is, giving him an occasional extra day off could be part of the answer.
The bigger picture remains the same: the Giants believe their identity is tied to pitching and defense, and they need more from that side of the ball from Lee and others.
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