Clutch SF Giants first baseman may be nearing the end with the team

The SF Giants have had to say goodbye to a few long-tenured players this year. Could fan-favorite first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. be on his way out as well?

The longest tenured Giant coming into the year, Austin Slater, was traded earlier this year. Thairo Estrada was placed on waivers and was then sent down to Triple-A and will not be back with the team next year. There are several other long-time Giants like Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski, and Tyler Rogers who could potentially not be on the team next season.

One other long-time Giant who could find himself on a different team next year is LaMonte Wade Jr. The left-handed hitting first baseman has endeared himself to Giants fans over the years with clutch late inning heroics that earned him the moniker “Late Night LaMonte.” He has also proven himself to be adept at getting on base, drawing plenty of walks with his good eye at the plate.

2024 has not been a disaster for Wade by any means, but it has not been great either. His batting average is in the .260’s and his on base percentage is just below .400 which is great. However, his power numbers have been down as he only has 6 home runs this year compared with 17 last year. 

Typically you want your first baseman to be a solid power threat, but Wade just has not had the same pop in his bat this year. He is still a valuable player though, so it is not guaranteed that the Giants will move on from him.

He is arbitration-eligible next season but it is possible the Giants simply do not tender him a contract if they feel they want to pursue other options.

The reason they might is because the Giants need an impact bat in their lineup and first base is where they can make that happen. Paul Goldschmidt and Pete Alonso are both going to be free agents and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a potential trade target for the Giants. All three would represent an upgrade over Wade even though he is solid both at the plate and with his glove. 

However, after another disappointing year the Giants are probably going to look at areas of the roster they can upgrade. While Wade has been a good Giant the last several years, the Giants may feel they need to land a premier first baseman which could mean the end of Wade’s time in San Francisco.