Brewers $182 Million Star Shortstop Departs For 7-Year Deal With Giants

The Brewers are losing a key piece.

Jul 14, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco Giants hat and glove on the bench against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers came into the offseason with some questions to answer after losing the National League Wild Card Series to the New York Mets. One of their biggest question marks was star shortstop Willy Adames.

Adames had become a free agent after slashing .251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs, 21 stolen bases, 112 RBI and a .794 OPS. He also posted a 3.1 WAR and had a 118 OPS+.

On Saturday, the Brewers were dealt a tough blow, as Adames found a new team, which leaves a hole at the shortstop position. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Adames is signing with the San Francisco Giants on a seven-year, $182 million contract.

The deal is pending a physical, and Passan noted one other catch with the contract.

"Willy Adames will receive a $22 million signing bonus in his deal with the Giants. The $182 million guarantee is the third-largest free agent contract ever for a Dominican-born player, behind only Albert Pujols and Robinson Cano. And it tops the $167 million deal of Buster Posey."

This is a tough blow for the Brewers, who were largely carried by Adames in 2024. He helped guide them to a 93-win season which was enough to win the NL Central.

With Adames gone, they may be forced to turn to Joey Ortiz or Brice Turang as the next shortstop. Perhaps the Brewers can fill the void left by Adames' departure by potentially trading closer Devin Williams for some Major League ready pieces.

We'll see how they respond to this news.

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