The Giants’ previous regime looked to inject power into their lineup the last two offseasons but failed to snare one of the big bats. Now, a more aggressive front office has done just that. Shortstop Willy Adames is headed to the Giants on a reported seven-year deal, a move that will pair him with Matt Chapman on the left side of the San Francisco infield.
A Look at Adames
The Brewers benefitted greatly from a 2021 trade that netted Willy Adames from the Rays. Adames, who hit 20 home runs in 2019 with Tampa, further developed in Milwaukee to be one of the game’s premier shortstops.
Adames hit 20 home runs for Milwaukee over 89 games in 2021, helping the Brewers win the NL Central. A year later, he hit 31 home runs. And this past season, the 29-year-old posted career highs in home runs (32), RBI (112), and OPS (.794).
Adames slotted in perfectly in the middle of the Brewers‘ lineup thanks to his power and ability to drive in runners. That prowess helped him finish tenth in the 2024 NL MVP race.
Statistically, Adames was one of the best offensive threats in baseball over the last three seasons — and especially among shortstops. The ex-Brewer had the third-most home runs (87) in the league among shortstops between 2022-24. Only Corey Seager (96) and Francisco Lindor (90) had more.
The 29-year-old also finished fifth among shortstops in total bases (765).
Adames ranked above-average in bat speed last season per Statcast, in the 77th percentile. He needs a quick swing, given that its length (8.1 in.) is significantly longer than the league average. Nonetheless, Adames has the ability to catch up to fastballs. He tied with Jose Altuve, Dansby Swanson, and Marcus Semien for 22nd in homers off fastballs (48) between 2022-24.
And, he can also stay back on breaking balls with good pitch recognition. Although, he will swing and miss often. Adames struck out over 160 times in each of the last three seasons.
Defensively, Adames was one of the best shortstops in the game in 2022-23 in terms of range. Adames had a +25 Outs Above Average in that span, although he had just a +1 in 2024. One concern moving forward will be his foot speed — which has trended down in recent years and always will with age — and whether he can stick at the position.
Per reports, Willy Adames will head to the Giants on a seven-year, $182MM deal.
Analysis
The Giants take arguably the second or third-best bat off the board — depending on how you feel about Pete Alonso — in a blockbuster two years in the making. Farhan Zaidi swung and missed on Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, and balked on Carlos Correa. Now, the Giants, their front office led by Buster Posey, have their big power bat.
It’s somewhat appropriate that Posey’s the one to bring in Adames on this type of deal. Adames’ contract surpasses Posey’s nine-year, $167MM deal back in 2013, which was the largest deal given out in franchise history.
And, it gives the Giants much-needed power and lineup depth that San Francisco has lacked for years. Sure, the Giants received strong contributions from Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman, re-signed in September, last season, plus a .437 SLG from Mike Yastrzemski. But keep in mind this: last year, the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Padres combined had seven of the top 25 players in the league in slugging percentage.
While the Giants’ team SLG jumped from .383 to .396 between 2023 and 2024, it wasn’t enough to keep up with other powers in the NL West. The Dodgers and Diamondbacks finished 1-2 in that stat, while San Diego was seventh. It’s a numbers game, and the Giants have to get more from their offense to compete with those three teams.
The other interesting component to this deal is how this might affect the Juan Soto chase — and how teams might get more desperate. The Yankees and Mets were also reportedly in the mix for Adames as a fallback option.
Adames, thanks to his plus arm strength, was widely considered to be someone who could slide over to third base and play for either of those teams.
Instead, he’ll stick at short and play next to Chapman. Tyler Fitzgerald, meanwhile, can shift to second base.