The first major free agent domino of the MLB offseason has fallen, and it is not Juan Soto.
Shortstop Willy Adames has agreed to a seven-year, $182 contract with the San Francisco Giants, as first reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN. The deal includes a $22 million signing bonus and is pending a physical.
The deal represents the largest contract the Giants have handed out in franchise history. In many ways, that shows just how badly the team wanted to make a big move in the offseason, having largely come up empty in recent offseasons. A deal with shortstop Carlos Correa infamously fell through two years ago when Correa failed a physical, and they tried for Aaron Judge last winter but ultimately fell short.
Adames could be the infield anchor the Giants have been looking for. He hit .251 with 32 home runs and 21 stolen bases for Milwaukee last season. While there had been talk that he was open to moving to third base, landing with the Giants should allow him to continue playing his preferred shortstop position.
Adames was viewed as a backup plan for some teams that are trying to sign Soto. Now that the shortstop is off the board, the stakes in that pursuit may be even higher for certain clubs.
