The San Francisco Giants in 2025 are caught in a tough spot. They just had to endure their biggest rival celebrating a championship and know they have to battle a tough division just to get a crack at them. And after three straight years of mediocrity that made 2021 look like the biggest of flukes with each passing season, ownership finally relented to fan pressure and fired POBO Farhan Zaidi and did a complete 180, bringing in franchise hero (and part owner) Buster Posey to try and turn things around. While former players running the show, not to say a true icon, is certain to create excitement, there is no guarantee that it will work out any better than the previous regime.
In San Francisco’s case, moving from Zaidi to Posey represents a major shift in philosophy, as the former was always open about his penchant for analytics and unearthing value at every corner, even if it required a constant churn of players. Meanwhile, Posey, who won three World Series with the team and was an All-Star only four years ago, has promised to bring back a more old-fashioned approach to player evaluation and roster stability, aiming to reintroduce some of the core values of the proud franchise by the Bay.
All of this is to say that a year ago, a signing like Willy Adames would probably not have been possible in San Francisco, as the front office tried (and whiffed) to sign several prominent free agents and supplemented the roster with a number of reclamation projects, mid-tier options and short-term stars, like it happened with Blake Snell, Robbie Ray, and Kris Bryant, to name a few. However, under the new way of doing things, a player like Adames makes perfect sense for what the franchise is trying to accomplish, which is why he was signed to a fully guaranteed 7-year, $182-million deal with no opt-out clauses.
Newest @SFGiants shortstop Willy Adames ranks No. 41 in @MLBNetwork’s #Top100RightNow. pic.twitter.com/GngzJyc0vw
— MLB (@MLB) February 6, 2025
Adames’ deal officially became the largest in team history, curiously surpassing Posey’s final contract and even with inflation it represents a mild shock to know this fact considering the Giants have employed some of the best and most recognizable players in baseball history. With the shortstop set for life and primed to be a Giant through his mid-30s, the deal may become an albatross during its second half, but the Giants were certainly eager to find a long-term solution following the departure of franchise stalwart Brandon Crawford in 2023. Following a strong walk year, Adames was primed to cash in and achieved it, but what kind of player are the Giants getting for this upcoming season?
It can be argued that the former Brewer is one of the most underrated players in baseball, as he has never made the All-Star game and is not usually in the conversation as one of the game’s top shortstops, even as he rates as the seventh-best at the position in terms of fWAR since 2019. On the other hand, his prolific 2024 earned him a 10th place finish in NL MVP voting, while this new contract will certainly place the spotlight on him. If anything, his body of work throughout seven full MLB seasons has been inconsistent but never bad, as Adames has been a solid bet to post WAR totals above 3.0, even if the way to get there has never quite been the same.
When first called up with the Rays, Adames struggled a bit defensively but stayed afloat with plenty of power and limited patience (38 homers in 1,112 plate appearances with an 8.7 BB% from 2018 to 2020). His 2021 mid-season trade to Milwaukee seemingly unlocked a new offensive profile, as he became a more prototypical three-true-outcomes hitter from that year to 2023, posting a .314 OBP that included 80 homers in 1,810 plate appearances with a 9.8 BB% while striking out in more than a quarter of those trips. An improved defense helped him establish himself as a prime shortstop before seemingly putting it all together in 2024.
Adames’ 2024 campaign included career highs in games played, plate appearances, hits, doubles, homers, RBI, and stolen bases, helping the Brewers to an unlikely division title when he was probably a trade-deadline candidate at season’s dawn. His 112 RBI total was inflated by a record-tying 14 three-run homers, with Adames suddenly becoming a clutch monster. In fact, only 11 of his 32 homers were solo, and he added his fifth career grand slam, to boot. It is not rare to see upcoming free agents play with a different intensity in their walk year, but the Giants have to be encouraged by many of the underlying numbers that support Adames’ raw stats.
For instance, his batted ball profile ranks near the 80th percentile in many key aspects, such as barrel percentage, expected slugging, bat speed, and batting run value, all of which encapsulate the type of hitter Adames has become. His spray chart should also be a welcome addition at Oracle Park, as the new Giant is far from a dead-pull hitter and instead should benefit from the cavernous ballpark to turn many singles into doubles while also hitting his fair share of bombs to left field. For a franchise that has not enjoyed a 30-homer hitter since 2004 (really), Adames has suddenly become the best bet to break that infamous streak, while also pairing up with Matt Chapman to create one of the best left sides of the infield in the league.
When it comes to defense, Adames may not be a prototypical highlight machine, but he has proven to go from adequate to Gold Glove candidate in several seasons, including an above-average arm and enough range to be an asset. Moreover, his addition to the lineup means that the Giants can play Tyler Fitzgerald at second base, which should be a major upgrade if he can replicate his power numbers from 2024. It has been a while since the Giants had a constant power threat in the middle of the lineup, and with potential breakout players like Fitzgerald, Heliot Ramos, and Jung-Hoo Lee, there could be a potential path for San Francisco to at least challenge for a wild-card spot in the NL.
On the flip side, Adames can also be considered a streaky hitter who could struggle to put the ball in play, and adapting to a division with plenty of elite pitching could become a challenge. He also has failed to carry over his regular-season success to the playoffs, with only two homers in 35 October games. Helping San Francisco get back to the postseason would be a major win, though, which is why he is being sold as a potential new face of the franchise.
Projections for the 2025 season place him as a solid player, but they are not convinced he can replicate his star-level production from a year ago. With shortstop becoming a prime offensive position and the league full of all-around stars, Adames may continue to fly under the radar, but he definitely has the tools to be successful in an environment that will feature more pressure than he’s ever had in his career. Giants fans have waited a long time for a power hitter who can also be great on the diamond, and now they have to hope that Adames is the answer to their prayers. In a franchise that often celebrates its past glory, its most recent icon is betting that it will.
