Giants Secure Shortstop Stability with Record-Breaking Deal

What this means for the Giants

With Willy Adames joining the team, the Giants now have a potent middle-of-the-order bat. This provides much-needed stability at shortstop, where they struggled to find an internal successor to franchise icon Brandon Crawford in 2024. Adames' arrival allows the Giants to shift Tyler Fitzgerald to second base, enhancing their infield defense as a whole. However, due to exceeding the Competitive Balance Tax threshold, the team will face stiffer penalties, including giving up its second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2025 Draft and $1 million from its international bonus pool.

Adames' presence gives the Giants a reliable player who can contribute both offensively and defensively. His ability to hit homers and make slick plays at shortstop makes him a valuable asset. This move is expected to have a positive impact on the team's performance and help them compete in the upcoming seasons.

Hot Stove implications

Adames is the first major position player to sign this offseason, and his deal has set the tone for the market. While he wasn't competing with other shortstops for his huge contract, it is surprising that he signed before Juan Soto. Some teams in the Soto market, such as the Yankees, viewed Adames as a potential Plan B. But Adames landed a lucrative payday with the Giants, and if San Francisco was his desired destination, it makes sense for him to sign first.

The shortstop market won't change much with Adames signed, but for teams looking to add an impact bat on the left side of the infield, Alex Bregman is now the primary option available. Other top bats in the market include Pete Alonso, Christian Walker, Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernández, and Jurickson Profar.

Diving deep

According to FanGraphs, the Giants now have the 15th-best projected shortstop position in baseball. Given the franchise-record contract they gave Adames, this may seem underwhelming. But it highlights the fact that there are many shortstops in the "quite good but not really great" category.

Adames has hit 20+ homers in the last five full seasons and has cut his strikeout rate in the last four. His defense is usually quality, although Statcast has not always found it to be consistent. In 2024, he was graded as merely average. There is still potential for him to have a further breakout year, as he has shown great defense in some years and his on-base percentage and slugging percentage have fluctuated.

If Adames can combine the good versions of these aspects in one year, he could be a borderline MVP candidate. As it stands, he is more a good-to-very-good player than a star, but his addition to the team provides valuable stability and allows the Giants to optimize their infield defense.

Stat to know

Since 2019, Adames has hit 140 home runs while playing shortstop. He ranks second over this period, behind only Francisco Lindor (145) and just ahead of Corey Seager (138). Over the same span, he ranks second in RBIs (435) and walks (312) and third in doubles (163) and total bases (1,308) accrued at shortstop. These statistics demonstrate his offensive prowess and his value as a shortstop.