SF Giants among possible landing spots for power-hitting shortstop according to MLB insider

The SF Giants will be in the market for middle infield help this winter and will be connected to many of the top names. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, San Francisco is considered one of the potential landing spots for power-hitting shortstop Willy Adames.

SF Giants among possible landing spots for power-hitting shortstop according to MLB insider

Adames' run with the Milwaukee Brewers has likely come to an end after they lost to the New York Mets in the Wild Card round last week. Heyman does note that the Brewers would like to keep him but realize that he is likely out of their price range.

They have one lever at their disposal at the very least. The Brewers can and will issue Adames a qualifying offer for $21.2 million. He will reject that in favor of free agency but Milwaukee will receive a compensatory pick if he signs elsewhere.

The penalty for signing a player who rejected a qualifying offer is generally a loss of a draft pick and international bonus pool money. However, for the Giants, the penalty is stiffer given that they crossed the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) threshold of $237 million in 2024. If they were to sign a player who rejected a qualifying offer this season, they would lose their second-and-fifth-round pick along with $1 million in international bonus pool money.

Not surprisingly, the Giants will not be the only team in the mix as Heyman adds. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves are seen as potential landing spots as well. Being able to compete is one qualitative factor that many free agents consider and both of those organizations can offer a much more realistic shot of that than the Giants at the moment.

That said, Adames had a strong season in a contract year. He slashed .251/.331/.462 (119 wRC+) with 32 home runs, 112 RBI, and 93 runs in 688 plate appearances. This includes a 10.8 percent walk rate, 25.1 percent strikeout rate, and .211 ISO.

Of course, the Giants would need to weigh how those numbers translate to Oracle Park. The right-handed bat posted an .815 OPS with 18 home runs at home compared to a .774 OPS with 14 home runs on the road. Interestingly, Baseball Savant's park factor gives both Milwaukee's home ballpark, American Family Field, and Oracle Park the same park factor of 97. This means that both stadiums tend to favor the pitcher.

In the field, Adames has typically been an excellent defender at shortstop. That said, he did register -16 Defensive Runs Saved, 0 Outs Above Average, and 0 Fielding Run Value in 2024. Depending on the metric you use, he is either a well below-average shortstop or neutral. In general, this year looks more like an outlier with respect to his defense.

The start of free agency is about a month away but the Giants look like they will be aggressive in adding a middle infielder this winter. Adames would check off quite a few boxes for them just as he would for any other team.