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Giants Lose Speedy Outfielder Justin Dean To Cubs
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- Giants Lose Speedy Outfielder Justin Dean To Cubs
The San Francisco Giants have officially lost outfielder Justin Dean after he was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs , ending a brief stint with the organization.
San Francisco designated Dean for assignment last week as part of a roster shuffle to create space following the addition of right-hander Tyler Mahle , a move that ultimately exposed the speed-first outfielder to other clubs.
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Dean, 29, was a short-term depth piece for the Giants, having been claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this offseason. While his time in San Francisco did not result in any regular-season appearances, the organization valued Dean as athletic outfield insurance with plus speed and defensive versatility.
However, with roster spots at a premium, the Giants elected to risk losing him in order to address more immediate pitching needs.
Dean made his major league debut in 2025 with the Dodgers, carving out a narrowly defined role. He appeared in 18 regular-season games, almost exclusively as a pinch runner and late-inning defensive replacement, and logged just two plate appearances.
He also suited up for 13 postseason games during Los Angeles' World Series run, again without recording a plate appearance, reinforcing the idea that his primary value at the major league level comes from his legs and glove.
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Speed has been Dean's standout tool throughout his professional career. From 2021 through 2025, he stole 176 bases in the minor leagues with an efficiency rate north of 80 percent. That ability made him an intriguing depth option for the Giants, particularly in an era where late-game speed and defensive flexibility can influence close contests.
Offensively, Dean remains more of a question mark, though there were encouraging signs last season. Earlier in his minor league career, he paired strong plate discipline with high strikeout rates.
In 2025, he showed improvement by cutting down on swing-and-miss while maintaining a healthy walk rate, leading to a productive Triple-A season. Some of that success was driven by favorable batted-ball outcomes, but it nevertheless represented tangible progress.
Ultimately, the Giants' roster math worked against Dean. After briefly holding him on the 40-man roster, San Francisco opted to prioritize other areas of depth, making him available once again. The Cubs, with greater roster flexibility, were able to claim him without a corresponding move.
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