Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
SCOTTSDALE — It’s not probable, but at least possible, that the Giants eventually employ a first-base platoon of a pair of former stars in Asia.
Darin Ruf, who played three seasons in South Korea, is already on the roster, and Justin Bour has been added to the mix.
The lefty-hitting Bour, who played last year in Japan, announced he is signing with the Giants on Instagram on Friday, which KNBR confirmed is a minor league deal. It is unclear if he has been invited to major league camp. If so, that would put the Giants at their maximum number of 75 in Scottsdale.
The Giants are thin at first base, with Brandon Belt (illness, as well as offseason surgery) improving yet still without a timetable to debut in camp. The lefty Tommy La Stella can play first, as can righties Ruf and Wilmer Flores. Bour, who has hit righties far better in his career, becomes added insurance.
The 32-year-old had a few quality seasons with Miami, posting an .843 OPS with 63 home runs from 2015-17. He was traded to Gabe Kapler’s Phillies in 2018 and went up and down from the minors to the majors in 2019 with the Angels before his stint in Japan.
With Hanshin last year, Bour slashed .245/.344/.424 with 17 homers in 102 games.