SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Willy Adames has been preparing for spring training for some time now, dedicating about a month to workouts in Arizona as he adjusts to becoming a member of the San Francisco Giants.
Despite the extra preparation, Adames expressed that the first full-squad practice on Monday was a thrilling moment for him.
“It gets to the point when you’re practicing every day, it’s like, ‘I just want spring training to start,’ you know, and then today was the first day,” Adames mentioned. “And I mean, I can’t complain. It’s been great.”
The signing of Adames stands out as the most significant move for the Giants during the offseason, following a season where they finished 80-82. The seasoned shortstop inked a substantial seven-year, $182 million contract with the Giants, departing Milwaukee after contributing for over three seasons.
Transitioning to a new team can be challenging, especially with the added pressures that come from a hefty contract, but Adames is drawing from his past experiences to navigate this change.
“After getting traded twice, I think it makes it easier to try to get along with everybody and just try to get comfortable,” he explained, having hit a home run in live batting practice earlier in the day. “And that’s why I’ve been hanging out for the last month here, because I wanted to get that going early and create that bonding with the guys before spring training started.”
At 29 years old, Adames was part of the Detroit Tigers’ minor league system before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in July 2014. He made his major league debut in 2018 and played with the Rays for over three seasons before moving to Milwaukee in May 2021.
During his time with the Brewers, Adames emerged as one of the top all-around shortstops in baseball, achieving personal bests in 2022 with 32 home runs, 112 RBIs, 93 runs, 153 hits, and 21 stolen bases across 161 games.
“He’s a unique guy, and that’s why we targeted him and wanted him because we felt like he can come in and make an impact right away,” said San Francisco manager Bob Melvin. “I don’t think there’s any of the transition problems with him.”
Despite his offensive success last season, Adames did struggle defensively, posting a career-high 20 errors, among which were six during a challenging nine-game stretch in August.
Having previously committed 14 errors in each of the two seasons prior, Adames acknowledged that he struggled with his confidence but managed to find his rhythm once again towards the end of last year.
“I mean I have my confidence back and just going to go out there and be the same guy,” he affirmed.
In San Francisco, Adames could benefit from teaming up with third baseman Matt Chapman, a five-time Gold Glove winner who also recently secured a substantial six-year, $151 million deal with the Giants.
“That’s something that I’m looking forward to, you know, playing alongside him. … You know he’s going to catch everything,” Adames remarked, adding that Chapman already assured him he wouldn’t have to worry about any tricky plays, leaving Adames to focus on improving his own defensive skills.