Giants Make Historic Signing: Willy Adames Joins on Seven-Year Deal

The San Francisco Giants have reportedly agreed to a landmark seven-year, $182 million contract with shortstop Willy Adames, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. The team has yet to officially confirm the deal.

This contract is the largest in Giants history, surpassing the $167 million deal signed by Buster Posey in 2013. Posey, now the president of baseball operations for the Giants, is overseeing this significant addition to the roster.

Adames, who celebrated his 29th birthday on September 2, entered free agency after arguably his best season yet. He achieved a career-high 4.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) according to FanGraphs, placing him among the top 20 position players in Major League Baseball and fifth among shortstops, trailing only Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Francisco Lindor, and Elly De La Cruz.

Durability proved to be one of Adames' greatest assets, as he started an MLB-high 161 games at shortstop for the Brewers in 2024. He batted .251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs, both career highs. Additionally, he stole a career-high 21 bases with an impressive 84% success rate.

Adames also demonstrated significant improvement in his offensive game, bouncing back from a subpar 2023 season. Since his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018, Adames has consistently delivered with a .248/.322/.444 slash line and 20-plus home runs in each of his five full MLB seasons. His 140 home runs since 2019 rank second among shortstops, just behind Francisco Lindor.

Defensively, Adames has been reliable, earning a career +20 Outs Above Average (OAA) according to Statcast. Though his defensive performance slightly declined in 2024, his overall skills remain strong.

Born in Santiago, Dominican Republic, Adames began his professional career with the Detroit Tigers in 2012. He was acquired by the Rays in 2014 as part of the trade that sent David Price to Detroit and quickly rose to prominence as a top prospect. He was later traded to the Brewers in 2021, where he continued to excel.

Despite flying under the radar with no All-Star appearances or major awards, Adames' impressive 18.1 fWAR since 2019 ranks seventh among all shortstops, highlighting his consistent contribution to the game.

​The Giants' acquisition of Adames signals their commitment to building a competitive team and aiming for success in the coming years.