Giants take top free agent shortstop off the board after signing Willy Adames

After several years of trying, the San Francisco Giants finally landed a top free agent.

The Bay Area club tried hard to sign Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa over recent off-seasons but were unsuccessful. On Saturday, though, the Giants reportedly doled out their largest contract in franchise history to Willy Adames, the best available free-agent shortstop.

The power-hitting Adames instantly boosts a San Francisco club that’s under new leadership with Buster Posey, the former catcher, recently named president of baseball operations.

Here’s a closer look.

The deal:

Willy Adames signs a seven-year, $182-million contract with the San Francisco Giants.

The runners up:

The New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox were all connected to Adames and will now have to seek infield help elsewhere.

The player:

Adames was the best shortstop on the market and timed his free agency perfectly. It came on the heels of a strong campaign in which he produced career-highs in stolen bases (21), home runs (32), doubles (33), games played (161) and FanGraphs WAR (4.8).

The 29-year-old strikes out a lot, but his strong walk rate (10.8 per cent) makes that easier to stomach. Simply put, Adames is among the elite power-hitting shortstops in the sport, and that fact has been somewhat obscured because he’s played in the smaller markets of Tampa Bay and Milwaukee.

As he ages, the Giants could decide to move him to third base. However, that likely won’t happen soon with third baseman Matt Chapman under contract through the 2027 campaign.

The fit:

The Giants finished fourth in the National League West last season, and with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the same division, climbing up the totem pole will be difficult.

Posey was brought in to change the direction of the organization and Adames represents his first major move. Adames will inject power into a lineup that needs it — Chapman was the only player on the team to hit more than 22 home runs last season.

Chapman and Adames form a strong tandem on the left side of the infield, and Adames will be a cornerstone player to build around for the rest of this decade. He was known as a leader during his three-plus seasons with the Brewers and will be counted to do the same with the Giants.

The market:

MLB Trade Rumors forecasted that Adames would fetch a six-year, $160-million deal. He beat that in both term and total dollars.

The next domino:

There are no comparable shortstops on the market, but in terms of free-agent bats, Adames was near the top of the list this winter. Third baseman Alex Bregman could be someone teams pivot toward at the MLB Winter Meetings, which will commence this week.

Of course, the No. 1 domino is Juan Soto, who’s reportedly in the final stages of deciding where to go. It’s worth noting that some of the teams pursuing him also had interest in Adames.