Two years ago, Reggie Sanders played with the Braves. Last year he hit 33 HR for Arizona. In 2002, he'll join Barry Bonds in the outfield of the San Francisco Giants.
photo by Tim Evearitt (file photo)
Reggie Sanders went with his gut feeling.
Sanders signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, leaving World Series champion Arizona after hitting a career-high 33 homers last season.
"I had other opportunities, but something in my heart tells me this is a perfect fit," Sanders said. "I think this team has a better chance of winning a world championship, and I wanted to be part of that (Giants manager) Dusty Baker thing."
Giants assistant general manager Ned Colletti completed the deal with Sander's agent Friday morning while driving back to the San Francisco Bay area after watching the Rose Bowl game in Pasadena.
"Reggie has a great reputation in the game," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. "He's the kind of guy who will bode well in our clubhouse."
The 34-year-old outfielder heads to his fifth team in five years, coming off a season in which he also had 90 RBIs and 84 runs while batting .263 in 126 games for the Diamondbacks.
"If he's healthy, he'll do some damage," said Baker. "I'm extremely happy to have Reggie because he's a winner."
The contract includes a mutual option for 2003.
Sanders said it became clear after the season that Arizona didn't have any interes in resigning him.
"When that happened my first thought was I wanted to come to San Francisco," Sanders said. "I always wanted to play for (Baker). I wanted to do whatever I could to make that happen."
After two trips to the disabled list with Atlanta in 2000, in which he hit 11 homers and drove in 37 runs in 103 games, Sanders revamped his offseason training program, which led to better production last year with the Diamondbacks.
"No. 1 was getting into church, then getting better eating habits and an agility and weight training program," Sanders said. "I'm doing the same things again this year."
Sanders, who was also pursued by Detroit, Anaheim, Colorado and Baltimore, is expected to play right field for the Giants and solidify the middle of a lineup that already includes single-season home run king Barry Bonds and former MVP Jeff Kent.
"Reggie is a bona fide run producer who will be inserted immediately into our lineup," Sabean said. "It was an almost unexpected opportunity to sign him and we couldn't pass that up. He is an experienced veteran who has been through pennant races and the pressures of the postseason."
Sanders has hit .268 with 195 home runs over 11 years in the National League, including 20 or more homers in a season four times. He also played for Cincinnati (1991-98) and San Diego (1999).