Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey expressed confidence in Willy Adames’ future as San Francisco’s shortstop last week, even after the infielder posted the worst statistical season of his career in 2026. Posey made clear the Giants have no plans to move Adames off his natural position, according to MLB.com.
Adames signed a franchise-record $182 million deal with San Francisco in December 2024 and delivered immediately, hitting a team-high 30 home runs in 2025. He became the first Giants hitter to reach that mark since Barry Bonds in 2004. This past season told a different story, as a persistent back issue and a left elbow sprain limited his availability and ultimately ended his year in August.
Posey’s Public Support For Adames
Posey did not hedge when asked about Adames’ long-term role on the roster. “I see his future as a shortstop,” Posey said. “To speak for Willy, there’s no doubt the way he moved this year that his back was bugging him.
He’s not going to sit up here and say this because that’s not his nature. I am hopeful that if he gets into a better place physically, that some of those metrics that you were talking about will move back to what he’s done throughout his career.”
That public backing comes directly after a season in which Adames struggled on both sides of the ball. He acknowledged as much himself. “It feels like I couldn’t get it right this year, on defense or offense,” Adames said. “So, I have to work and re-evaluate what I was doing this year and then focus on all the points that I have to adjust and go about it in the offseason.”
What The Numbers Show
The gap between Adames’ two Giants seasons is stark. After posting +5 Outs Above Average at shortstop in 2025, he fell to -17 OAA in 2026, a figure tied with the Nationals’ CJ Abrams for the worst mark at any position in the majors. At the plate, Adames slashed .230/.289/.424 with 21 home runs and a career-low 100 OPS+ across 121 games, well short of the production that justified his record contract a year earlier.
Posey’s comments tie that decline directly to the back injury rather than a broader decline in ability. The Giants president suggested Adames’ performance should trend back toward his career norms if he can get healthy, framing 2026 as an outlier tied to his physical state rather than a permanent shift in production.
Contract And Roster Context
Adames remains under contract with the Giants through 2031, and barring injury he is expected to open 2027 as San Francisco’s starting shortstop for a third straight season. The team’s farm system complicates that picture somewhat, with four of the Giants’ top six prospects, Josuar Gonzalez, Luis Hernández, Jhonny Level and Gavin Kilen, all playing shortstop.
Posey addressed that depth without suggesting any of those prospects will push Adames off the position soon. “There are a lot of shortstops,” Posey said. “I like to think that shortstops can play all over the field.
Somebody will most likely end up short, and there might be guys that end up moving around. But we want to keep them at short as long as we can. As far as the timeline on when those guys are here, it’s really up to them.
It’s up to them on how they continue to play.”
What’s Next
Adames heads into the offseason looking to address the physical issues that limited him in 2026, with his own comments pointing toward changes to both his defensive approach and his swing. San Francisco has not indicated any roster move involving its shortstop prospects, leaving Adames as the presumptive starter when the Giants open the 2027 season.
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