San Francisco Giants Star Predicted To Have 'Nightmare' $182 Million Contract

The San Francisco Giants will need the star to produce his typical power numbers.

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

Whenever the San Francisco Giants land a star hitter, there are worries about them performing at the level they need to at Oracle Park.

It's the unfortunate reality of playing at a stadium with the dimensions Oracle has, but there isn't much the Giants can do about that.

They needed offensive help and accomplished that by signing Willy Adames this offseason. 

Regarding pure hitting tools, Adames was the second-best hitter available this winter. He has flaws, but the same could be said for 99% of hitters in Major League Baseball.

Now, if his power doesn't perform at the level it has throughout his career, his seven-year, $182 million deal could be a disaster.

Still, it was the right decision to give him a chance, with San Francisco needing somebody to come in and hit in the middle of its lineup.

Despite that, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report believes it's a disaster waiting to happen, predicting that his contract will be one of the worst in baseball by 2027. 

"As for Adames' power, Statcast estimates that he would have hit 121 home runs as a member of the Giants between 2018 and 2024. That is 31 less than he actually hit for Tampa Bay and Milwaukee. Oracle Park indeed has that kind of effect on home runs, and Adames doesn't have much to fall back on if his power does get sapped. He strikes out more often (27.2 percent) than the average hitter (22.2 percent), and that problem could still get worse if his long swing begins to slow down."

Rymer touched on some fair points, but it's also important to note that Adames' power numbers aren't as significant of a difference as he makes it seem. 

His 31 home runs in 2022 would’ve been 26 at Oracle Park, his 24 home runs in 2023 would’ve been 14, and his 32 home runs in 2024 would’ve been 31.

Outside of 2023, those are all relatively close to what he produced.

Perhaps more worrisome are his strikeout numbers.

Over the past three years, he's struck out at least 165 times, and as a player who relies on his power to put up impressive numbers, striking out at that level could become an issue.

As he ages, his swing-and-miss stuff could progress even further.

If that continues to be a problem and his power numbers dip, the Giants might have something to worry about.