Willy Adames came to San Francisco with a massive contract and even bigger expectations, but the first year of that deal hasn’t looked anything like the Giants hoped for.
The shortstop signed a seven-year, $182 million agreement before the 2025 season, and Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter recently put him among the top 25 overpaid players in baseball. Adames is set to make $26 million in 2026, but the production has not matched that price tag.
Reuter pointed to the contrast between Adames’ rough opening stretch in a Giants uniform and the rebound that followed. “After a rocky start to his first season in San Francisco, shortstop Willy Adames ultimately rebounded to post a 111 OPS+ with 30 home runs and 3.7 WAR to kick off his seven-year, $182 million deal,” Reuter wrote Wednesday.
That recovery, though, hasn’t carried over into the current season. Through 116 games, Adames is hitting .224/.285/.413 with 19 home runs and a 96 OPS+, which means he’s been four percent worse than league average at the plate.
The lack of an All-Star résumé only sharpens the criticism. Adames has never made an All-Star team, and his bat has not played like one.
Reuter summed up the issue this way: “This year, that rebound simply hasn't come, and while he has provided positive value with his glove and extra-base pop, his production has been a far cry from justifying one of the largest salaries of any shortstop,” Reuter added.
For a Giants team that entered 2026 with postseason hopes, getting more from Adames looks like a must if they want to avoid another ugly season in San Francisco.
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Giants Fans May Hate What The Dodgers Just Proved About Spending
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Across the division, the Dodgers just offered a familiar reminder that even the biggest splashes do not guarantee a clean payoff. Their high-profile additions of Kyle Tucker and Edwin Daz have not delivered the kind of season they envisioned, and for a Giants front office already weighing caution, it is hard not to see the warning sign. With a lockout looming in the background, the temptation to stay measured may only grow stronger. [Read more 🡒]