Willy Adames initially had no idea the Giants contract he signed was record-breaking.
The shortstop was asked if he knew that his new deal broke the San Francisco franchise record for the richest contract, previously held by Buster Posey.
“I didn’t know until it was done [laughs],” Adames said during his introductory press conference on Thursday at Oracle Park in San Francisco. “That was kind of crazy to me because obviously Buster is the Hall-of-Famer. I don’t even know what you tell you, man. I don’t want to say the wrong words over here and get fired the next day, I just signed the contract [laughs].”
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The contract, -- seven years, $182 million -- gives the Giants some serious power in the lineup. Adames hit 32 home runs last season, the third-most by any MLB shortstop.
The signing exemplifies Posey’s new team-building approach by bringing in superstar free agents. For San Francisco to stay competitive in the deep (and expensive) NL West, relying on developing home-grown talent will not be enough.
And it appears that the Giants are not finished aggressively pursuing talent on the free-agent market, as the organization reportedly is in contention to sign pitcher Corbin Burnes.
Since winning the 2014 World Series, San Francisco has struggled to make the playoffs as the Los Angeles Dodgers have dominated the division. With Los Angeles opening the checkbook at will to sign Blake Snell and Michael Conforto this offseason, it was critical to land another power-hitting bat.
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While Adames has the richest contract for now, don’t be surprised if the Giants surpass that dollar amount in the future.