SAN FRANCISCO — Willy Adames wasted little time making one thing clear: He wants to play all 162 games for the San Francisco Giants.
So when introduced as their new shortstop Thursday, Adames looked to his left and gently put a hand on manager Bob Melvin’s right shoulder, smiled and said, “if he lets me.”
Melvin might not need much convincing, thrilled to suddenly have stability at a position that lacked continuity this year in his first season as skipper.
Adames didn’t hesitate to also offer a thought to new boss Buster Posey: He plans to win a few championships with the Giants just like the catcher-turned-executive did here.
Surrounded by his parents and other family and friends, Adames was formally introduced and welcomed at Oracle Park after signing a $182 million, seven-year contract – the first big, splashy move made by Posey since he became President of Baseball Operations in late September.
“There’s no words to describe my feeling right now to be here in this beautiful city, I’m just so happy to be here,” Adames said. “… This is a dream come true for me. I’m thrilled to be here, I’m so excited. Hopefully we can win a few championships like you did, and that’s one of the main reasons I’m here.”
Everyone who has encountered Adames so far can’t wait for him to get to work as an example both on the diamond and in the clubhouse.
“He’s a unique connector of people,” Posey shared from Craig Counsell’s description of the 29-year-old infielder from the Dominican Republic. “That really struck me because I think to win championships you have to have personalities like Willy that they’re able to identify with everybody in the clubhouse, and that’s not just players. I heard from multiple people that Willy treats everybody with the utmost respect. He plays with energy, he plays with joy and I know that our fans are just going to be thrilled to watch him compete on a daily basis.”
Adames’ deal marks the richest contract for San Francisco since Posey reached a $167 million, nine-year pact in 2013.
“I didn’t know ’til it was done. I was like ‘wow,'” Adames said.
From afar, Adames watched the legacy left by his hero Derek Jeter that went far beyond the baseball diamond.
And that’s as important to Adames as playing all 162 after he appeared in 161 games last season for Milwaukee. He considers part of his role to help the young players learn “to be a professional” and lead a club that has missed the playoffs the past three years in winning the right way.
“For me that comes first, it comes first to be a great human being. I’ve got to thank my parents for that, they raised me the right way, to try to treat everybody the same, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing,” Adames said. “I think that’s something that I’m really proud of, just to be the same guy every day, to be kind, just to give love back to people because there’s a lot of hate out there and I don’t really like that.”
The Giants know Adames’ positive influence could go far.
Asked about the instability at shortstop, Melvin noted, “Well, it’s not a problem now.”
Adames gives the Giants a power bat and reliable defense at his position. This year for the Brewers, he produced his best offensive season in the big leagues, batting .251 with a career-high 32 home runs and 112 RBI.
“Look, every team wants a Willy Adames on their team. I think the thing that strikes me the most is when I’d watch him play a couple times a year on the other side was he never looked like he had a bad day,” Melvin said. “It always looked like every day was opening day to him. That enthusiasm when your best players are like that – Matt Chapman is like that, too – it’s easy for everybody to have to fall in and play in that type of style. It’s easier said than done but really for me that’s the thing that struck me most is how much he loved playing baseball.”
Adames is close friends with former Giants third baseman Matt Duffy, who shared his own experiences being part of the San Francisco franchise.
It all became real when Adames pulled on his new cream-colored Giants jersey and buttoned it up, saying, “I’m a little nervous about this.”
A few moments later, the cap went on his head and he felt right at home.
“It looks amazing.”