Willy Adames has agreed to a seven-year, $182 million contract with San Francisco, providing the Giants with a power-hitting shortstop in the prime of his career, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. ESPN first reported the move.
It’s a big splash by the Giants’ new-look front office, which is now led by former All-Star catcher Buster Posey, who took over for the fired Farhan Zaidi in September. San Francisco has missed the playoffs in each of the last three years and just completed a disappointing 80-82 season.
Adames’ deal is the richest in franchise history, according to MLB.com, topping a eight-year, $167 million extension Posey signed in 2013.
Adames is off the market as the Juan Soto sweepstakes heats up across the league. The young slugger is expected to make his free agency decision very soon. The 26-year-old could command one of the biggest contracts in the sport’s history, rivaling the 10-year, $700 million deal Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason.
Adames, 29, is coming off his best offensive season after hitting .251 with a career-high 32 home runs and 112 RBIs with the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s a solid defensive shortstop with a strong arm and good range, though his metrics slipped a little in 2024.
He also has provided consistent power with 150 home runs over seven seasons, breaking into the big leagues in 2018 with Tampa Bay and hitting 20 home runs in his first full season in 2019.
He was traded to the Brewers in 2021 and had one of his best seasons in 2022, hitting 31 home runs with 98 RBIs and finishing with a 4.3 WAR.
The Detroit Tigers signed Adames in 2012 as a 16-year-old in the Dominican Republic.
AP’s Jay Cohen contributed.
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