Giants make a big splash by signing Willy Adames

This article is part of our Hot Stove Takes series, where staffers provide quick reactions to the latest notable MLB transactions.

Tom Verducci: With the signing of Willy Adames, the Buster Posey era of the San Francisco Giants (Front Office Edition) has officially begun. Posey had a big hole at shortstop and moved aggressively to give one to Adames Seven-year, $182 million contract. Adames could have waited to see what the post-Juan Soto market would do – there were rumors he might be considering a move to third base – but San Francisco followed up with a market value contract that’s just over the $177 million Dansby Swanson has signed a seven-year contract with the Cubs.

It’s another signal that Posey is going old school in realigning the Giants’ leadership after succeeding Farhan Zaidi. Posey has already redesigned the baseball operations department to reflect this greater emphasis on experience. In Adames, he signed an impact player who isn’t necessarily an analytical darling, judging by the average batting power, baserunning and contact with which he hits the ball.

But Adames is a consistent run producer and elite defender who loves to play and has an infectious personality. When he joined the Rays in a trade from the Tigers in 2014, he made such an impression on his teammates that they nicknamed him “Pied Piper.” He’s a pull-side flyball hitter with a high launch angle, which makes it seem like he might lose some pop by trading American Family Field for Oracle Park, but Statcast says his 32 home runs from 2024 in San Francisco expected 31 surrenders.

Shortstop contracts generally do not age well, especially when the position wears out. But all in all, this is a smart signing from Posey. It fills a huge need, ends the narrative that San Francisco can’t sign a major free agent, and gives the Giants a leader to build around.

Tom Dierberger: Adames now holds the keys to shortstop at Oracle Park, a position San Francisco thought it had filled in free agency two years ago. In December 2022, the Giants agreed to sign shortstop Carlos Correa to a 13-year contract worth $350 million, but withdrew from the contract on the day of his scheduled introductory press conference due to concerns about his physical condition.

Adames’ deal is also currently subject to a physical exam.

As Correa enters the third season of the six-year contract he signed with the Minnesota Twins, the Giants appear to have finally found their cornerstone shortstop. And Posey has proven he can do what former manager Farhan Zaidi had difficulty doing: bring a star to the Bay Area on a long-term contract.

Patrick Andres: The San Francisco Giants have been waiting years for a move like this.

They’ve flirted with top free agents in the 2020s — especially in 2022, when they courted both shortstop Carlos Correa and outfielder Aaron Judge. However, none of the superstars made a move, and the franchise continued to find itself in a free agency crisis.

That changed on Saturday with the Adames deal. The intriguing move can be viewed from multiple angles, but one thing is clear: Posey means business.

Posey has been on the job since September 30 and has had time to watch the Giants’ hated rivals – the Los Angeles Dodgers – hoist their second World Series trophy in five years. Remember, the 2012 National League MVP is the product of an era in which San Francisco could meet the Dodgers on equal terms.

One move doesn’t make a World Series contender, and Adames will turn 30 in September. If you look at the deal as nothing more than a signal that the Giants have every intention of competing with their deep-pocketed counterparts, it’s hard to see the deal as anything other than a diplomatic success.