Buster Posey Gives San Francisco Giants Early Victory With Willy Adames

Buster Posey was hired by the San Francisco Giants to help bring big-name free agents to the Bay Area and, well, so far it’s worked.

Sep 29, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames (27) in the dug out against the New York Mets in the eighth inning at American Family Field. / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants needed a change in direction. That was the basis for hiring Buster Posey as their new president of baseball operations.

The way his predecessor, Farhan Zaidi, was running he organization wasn’t working. It wasn't leading to playoff appearances and it wasn't keeping the Giants competitive enough to pursue the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres and the National League West.

Moreover, the big-name free agents the Giants tried to pursue weren't coming to town.

The hope from Giants ownership was that Posey, who brings impressive credentials as a former player and three-time World Series champion to the table, could change that. On Saturday afternoon he and his new front office changed the narrative.

The agreement with shortstop Willy Adames was Posey’s first big deal and an incredibly significant moment that’s worth digging into.

San Francisco needed power in its batting order. It needed someone to solidify shortstop to execute another offseason goal, which was to move Tyler Fitzgerald to second base. It turns out the Giants needed Posey to make it happen.

San Francisco has swung and missed on big-name free agents the past few years under Zaidi. Based on that track record, it’s possible he couldn’t have swung this deal. Posey needed to and did.

When Aaron Judge was a free agent, the Giants were a primary destination because of his California roots. At one point, the Giants were the highest bidder. Judge’s agent, perhaps smartly, used that contract to leverage a bigger deal out of the New York Yankees. Hence Judge will spend the rest of his career on the East Coast.

The Giants thought they struck gold with a long-term deal with Carlos Correa. His physical deep-sixed the deal and now he’s with the Minnesota Twins.

The Giants also took a swing at Shohei Ohtani last offseason and, predictably, missed. To be fair, how does one compete with $700 million? Or, in this case, $2 million per year for 10 years and $680 million deferred?

Pitcher Blake Snell walked out the door for the Dodgers recently. More of the same.

Adames changes the game. Posey’s ability to land Adames changes the game. His swing may not be a perfect fit for Oracle Park, but he has power and has hit 20 or more home runs in six seasons.

The Giants wanted power and they got it. Adames wanted long-terms security and big money and he got it.

San Francisco paid for it, too. That seven-year, $182 million deal is $15 million more than the biggest deal the Giants have ever handed out.

Who signed it? Posey.

Perhaps Posey understood that when he made the deal, perhaps not. But it's fitting that the man the Giants are trusting to get them back to the top is willing to top his own deal to make it happen.