DALLAS -- Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy sat down at the podium on Monday afternoon and spent several minutes asking reporters to announce their names and the team they cover. He was about as cheery as a manager can get when facing the media, but he grimaced a few moments later when Willy Adames, reportedly the Giants' next shortstop, came up.
"Don't even want to think about it," Murphy said, smiling and shaking his head.
Adames spent four seasons in Milwaukee, with last year being his best. In his first year under Murphy, who was named NL Manager of the Year as a rookie, Adames hit 32 homers and drove in 112 runs. But it was what he brought behind the scenes every day that most impressed his manager.
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The Giants have yet to announce the seven-year, $182 million contract agreement because Adames has not yet taken his physical, but anyone affiliated with the team has heard the same thing over and over again while passing through the lobby at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. Adames has made a tremendous impact on those he has played with and Murphy spent several minutes talking about how important he is to a clubhouse.
"I'm just excited for him," Murphy said. "The human being that he is, that's what makes him great. His attitude that he brings every single day, how he goes about his business, (he's) a consummate professional. He was a leader in our clubhouse. He did as much for the ballclub as anybody. He played in 161 games and would have played 162. The kid is special. He deserves everything he gets. I couldn't be happier."
Brewers manager Pat Murphy said he can’t say enough good things about Willy Adames. “This kid is special,” he said. “You want the ball hit to him in a big situation. You want him at the plate in a big situation.”
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) December 9, 2024
The Giants need Adames' power and stability at shortstop, but they also hope to inject some fresh life into a clubhouse that hasn't been the happiest place the last two seasons. Two years ago, players aired some grievances publicly as then-manager Gabe Kapler was on his way to getting fired. Last season was a much better mix, with Matt Chapman immediately becoming a team leader, but there is still work to be done.
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The front office moved quickly to make sure Chapman wouldn't get away. In Adames, Buster Posey has added someone who has a very similar reputation off the field. Murphy said losing Adames would be "huge" for a Brewers club that always finds a way to outperform expectations.
"You want the ball hit to him in a big situation," he said. "You want him at the plate in big situations. That's the best way I can compliment (him). He plays every day, and you want him up in every big situation. He's proven it time and time again. That's who he is. He loves it. He revels in it. He wants to talk to you people (in the media). He wants to be in the spotlight. It takes a lot to get there and uphold that day in and day out.
"I can't say enough about who he is. Player skills are what they are -- everybody has strengths and weaknesses. But who this guy is and how he goes about his business, how he treats people, how he treats his teammates, how he leads ... (it's) a big void."
The Giants plan to introduce Adames at Oracle Park later this week, and for once they'll be on the other side of the business of baseball. They watched two years ago as Aaron Judge was reintroduced in New York and last winter as Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Earlier this offseason, they watched the Dodgers hold a press conference for Blake Snell.
The Brewers have gone through this over and over again, as well. Murphy mentioned how the organization had lost both Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader in recent years.
"But losing this guy," Murphy said of Adames, "Whew."