SF Giants absent from rumored suitors for power-hitting shortstop

The SF Giants should prioritize a shortstop this winter but the latest report has them out on the top free-agent shortstop. Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reports that the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves are among the teams showing interest in Willy Adames.

SF Giants absent from rumored suitors for power-hitting shortstop

Of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers always seem to be lurking on every top free agent as well. In fact, they have often been seen as the top landing spot for the power-hitting shortstop.

That narrative has likely not changed despite Morosi's latest report. Morosi did mentioned the Giants as a team that could be interested at some point, but he was not able to report on anything substantial between them and Adames.

To some degree, all four of the teams Morosi did list have a need for Adames. The Braves and Red Sox likely would use him at shortstop, whereas the Blue Jays and Astros would need him to switch positions.

The Blue Jays have Bo Bichette at shortstop but he is under contract for one more season. On the other hand, the Astros have a strong defender in Jeremy Peña at shortstop. Those fits could still work as Adames has expressed his openness to moving positions.

The Giants are noticeably absent from that group. This could be in large part driven by their desire to shed payroll. According to MLB Trade Rumors, Adames is slated to score a six-year, $160 million pact in free agency this winter. That is just one data point, but it feels like he should be in the neighborhood of Matt Chapman's six-year, $151 million deal in terms of annual value.

Adames could see an extra year or two tacked onto his deal given that he is nearly two years younger than Chapman.

On top of this, Adames will almost certainly reject a qualifying offer from the Milwaukee Brewers. Given that the Giants are projected to cross the $237 million Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) threshold in 2024, the penalty becomes stricter if they sign a player who rejects a qualifying offer. They would stand to lose their second-and-fifth-round picks as well as $1 million in international bonus pool money.

Teams will make exceptions for these penalties, but if the Giants are preparing a reset of sorts, then losing draft and signing capital does not make much sense.

Nevertheless, Adames would be a nice addition to a lineup that is light on power. For a couple of reasons, the cost may be prohibitive for San Francisco. That said, they can still address their need at shortstop by targeting Ha-Seong Kim. There are a few reasons why the Giants would appeal to Kim.