San Francisco Giants Key Offseason Acquisition Seen as Potential Bust

The San Francisco Giants made a splash signing this offseason that some think could be headed toward being a bust.

Dec 12, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames reacts during his introductory press conference at Oracle Park. | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants made a big signing this offseason that not everyone believes will work out in their favor.

Buster Posey wasted no time making his mark on the Giants by adding shortstop Willy Adames to the lineup back in December. The contract was for seven years, $182 million and was one of the largest of this offseason and the largest in Giants history.

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly is skeptical of this signing, as he named Adames as one of the biggest potential bust signings of this free agent class.

Of the six players named, Adames received by far the most money. It was a risky signing, but at least it shows that San Francisco is at least ready to spent money in an effort to get back to the upper echelon of the sport.

Though the shortstop has been a solid player for some time now, it does at least make sense as to why people are wary of the deal. It was just back in 2023 that he posted a .217/.310/.407 slash line. He also has never made an All-Star team, but does have two top-10 MVP finishes.

One of the reasons that he could become a bust is the fact that he strikes out at a concerning clip.

The only other shortstop with at least 900 strikeouts in less than 900 games played is Paul DeJong. This is uncharted territory and the only other player in the category is certainly not someone that the Giants would want to spend close to $200 million on.

Adames also took a step back defensively last season, which is another red flag that should not be ignored. He at least has shown the ability to be an elite defensive player in the past and should be able to get back to that level again.

Those are the main things that are concerning about the 29-year-old, though. There is plenty to like about his game. He draws walks at a nice rate and has great home run power for a middle infielder.

Even with that down year included, he has a .242/.319/.452 slash line with an average of 28 home runs and 91 RBI over the past four campaigns.

If he can get his glove back up to where it was, the Giants would have to be happy about that production.

Only time will tell how it would turn out, but it would be unfair to assume that the Adames contract will be regretful before he even takes the field in a San Francisco uniform.