Former Milwaukee Brewers star Willy Adames is set to become the next long-term starter at shortstop for the San Francisco Giants. Jeff Passan reported Saturday the team and Adames have agreed to a seven-year, $182 million contract with Adames. Robert Murray of FanSided adds that the deal includes a full no-trade clause and no deferred money.
BREAKING: Shortstop Willy Adames and the San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a seven-year, $182 million contract, the largest deal in franchise history, sources tell ESPN. Adames, 29, had a career-best 32 home runs and 112 RBIs in 2024. The deal is pending a physical.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 7, 2024
Willy Adames’ seven-year, $182 million contract with the San Francisco Giants includes a full no-trade clause and contains no deferrals, according to sources familiar with the deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 8, 2024
The signing of Adames comes just 10 days after long-time Giant Brandon Crawford announced his retirement. Crawford debuted with the Giants in 2011 and was a mainstay at shortstop for the next 13 seasons.
In 1654 games in San Francisco, he slashed .250/.319/.396 with 147 home runs and 29.6 Wins Above Replacement. His time in the Bay Area included two World Series championships and three Gold Glove Awards. He became the franchise's all-time leader in games played at the position in 2021, and currently holds the record at 1,409.
Adames adds a power bat in the middle of the Giants' lineup
Adames is expected to be a big part of the Giants lineup. In his final season with the Brewers, he hit .251 with 32 home runs, 112 RBI, and a .794 OPS. Combined with solid defense at short, he has consistently measured around 3.0-4.0 Wins Above Replacement per season on Baseball Reference.
In San Francisco, his home run production should dip, as Oracle Park ranks dead last in Statcast's three-year rolling Park Factor in home runs (78), while American Family Field (home of the Brewers) ranked sixth (128). While he might not be a 30-homer threat in San Francisco's spacious home, he should still be a consistent source of power in the middle of the order.
There are some swing-and-miss concerns with Adames, as he had a whiff rate of 29.5% and a strikeout rate of 25.3% in 2024, but it's a solid tradeoff given what he can contribute. He posted a barrel rate of 12.0%, which ranked in the 81st percentile amongst major league hitters.
How the signing of Adames impacts the Giants' infield alignment
Adames will take over at shortstop for the Giants, allowing Matt Chapman to stay at his natural position of third base. The duo should form a strong defensive pairing on the left side of the infield.
With a vacancy at second base, they could move utility man Tyler Fitzgerald to the keystone position. Fitzgerald broke through in 2024, hitting .280 with 15 home runs in 96 games. The Giants had been using Thairo Estrada at second for much of the year, but outrighted him off the 40-man roster back in August.
While the Giants have been shopping around LaMonte Wade Jr., they could stick with a platoon of him and Wilmer Flores at first base, especially now that Adames can supply first base-caliber offensive production from the middle infield. San Francisco has yet to be linked to any of the top free agents at first base.