Giants Reel In Right Fielder Bass With 3-Year, $5.25-Million Contract

SAN FRANCISCO — Free agent outfielder Kevin Bass signed a three-year contract estimated at $5.25 million today with the San Francisco Giants.

Bass, 30, a native of nearby Redwood City, is a career .275 hitter with 78 home runs in seven major-league seasons with the Houston Astros. He ends the Giants’ search for a quality player in right field, a position shared unsuccessfully by Candy Maldonado, Pat Sheridan and Donell Nixon during the Giants’ National League pennant-winning season this year.

Bass, the first of the 90 free-agents to sign, will get $1.75 million in each of the next three seasons. A portion of his 1990 salary will be paid up front as a signing bonus but the amount has not been determined. He also gets a no-trade clause.

“Kevin Bass is an outstanding addition to our ballclub,” Giants President and General Manager Al Rosen said. “He’s an excellent right fielder who can contribute both at the plate and in the field.

“He can hit for average and power, he can drive in runs and he can run the bases. We think he’ll fit perfectly right into the heart of our lineup.”

Bass hit .300 with five home runs and 44 runs batted in during 87 games in 1989, missing 10 weeks due to a broken right tibia. The previous year, he hit .255 with 14 homers, 72 RBIs and a career-best 31 stolen bases. His best season was 1986, when he hit .311 with 20 homers, both career highs, drove in 79 runs and stole 22 bases.

“It’s great to be a Giant,” Bass said from his home in Sugar Land, Tex. “I grew up a big Giants fan.

“I played for Al Rosen when he was with the Astros, and I’ve always been impressed with (Manager) Roger Craig’s low-key and aggressive style. The thought of being in a lineup with hitters like Will Clark, Kevin Mitchell and Matt Williams has me excited already. Hopefully I can help out setting the table for the big guys.”

Bass, a switch-hitter, is expected to hit second in the Giants’ batting order between leadoff man Brett Butler and Will Clark.

Bass originally signed with the Milwaukee Brewers as their second pick in the June, 1977, draft. He played in 18 games for the Brewers in 1982, going hitless in nine at-bats, and was traded to Houston on Sept. 3 of that year with Mike Madden and Frank DiPino as players to be named later in the Aug. 30 deal for Don Sutton.

Bass took over the Astros’ starting right field job in 1986, making the NL All-Star team and finishing seventh in the Most Valuable Player balloting.

He was en route to San Francisco today.

“Both my family and my wife’s family still live in the area, and we’re looking forward to seeing them a lot more often,” he said.