As the baseball world awaits Juan Soto's decision, the Giants are waiting for nobody.
San Francisco took advantage of the lull in the offseason and agreed to a long-term deal with former Brewers shortstop Willy Adames on Saturday, snagging one of the top bats available on the open market.
The Giants came up short for plenty of major names in recent winters, but they pounced late last offseason when Blake Snell and Matt Chapman remained available longer than anyone expected. With Snell bound for Los Angeles, the Giants set out to find another talented infielder to pair with Chapman as they try to keep up in the NL West. They found one in Adames.
Here's a complete look at Adames' contract with San Francisco.
MORE: Tracking latest Juan Soto free agency rumors
Willy Adames contract details
Adames agreed to a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Giants, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The deal includes a $22 million signing bonus.
It's the largest contract in Giants history, breaking the record set by Buster Posey's eight-year, $167 million deal in 2013. It was Posey who orchestrated Adames' deal, as the former MVP became the Giants' president of baseball operations in September.
BREAKING: Shortstop Willy Adames and the San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a seven-year, $182 million contract, the largest deal in franchise history, sources tell ESPN. Adames, 29, had a career-best 32 home runs and 112 RBIs in 2024. The deal is pending a physical.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 7, 2024
Adames effectively priced himself out of a return to Milwaukee with a strong 2024 season, batting .251 with 32 home runs, 112 RBI and a .794 OPS. The former Rays shortstop had 107 home runs in under four seasons with the Brewers, though his defense took a bit of a step back this year.
The Giants haven't had a 30-home run season by any player since 2004, but their infield duo of Chapman and Adames could set the stage for that drought to end in 2025 or some point shortly after. Chapman signed a long-term deal during this past season, and Adames is now under contract in San Francisco through 2031.
The Giants aren't involved in the Soto sweepstakes, which freed them up to spend some money while many of MLB's other big spenders wait patiently. San Francisco is also reportedly pursuing Adames' former teammate, Corbin Burnes.
