The San Francisco Giants have All-Stars in the middle of their lineup who have yet to get hot all at the same time. With Rafael Devers heating up late and Matt Chapman going down with an injury before he could heat up, the Giants' record was reflective of that at the end of the year.
One player whose 2026 season can't fly under the radar is shortstop Willy Adames. Adames hasn't lived up to expectations since signing with San Francisco, taking a step back in his second year with the franchise.
Adames finished his 2026 campaign with a 1.7 WAR, his lowest in his career since 2018, 21 home runs, a nine-home-run difference from 2025, and played in 121 games. Not to mention, Adames' defensive skills weren't on full display, posting a 0.2 WAR at shortstop this season, when he averaged a 1.8 defensive WAR with the Milwaukee Brewers.
For the amount Adames is making, the Giants can't afford to see him struggle as he did. In Adames' defense, he wasn't the healthiest this season, ending the campaign on the injured list with an elbow injury. His back bothered him as well during the summer months.
San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (2) holds his jersey with president of baseball operations Buster Posey during his introductory press conference. Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
The San Francisco Giants won the Best Farm System of the Year award in 2026 thanks to developments with their top prospects in the minor leagues. Two of the Giants' top prospects are shortstops Josuar Gonzalez (No. 1) and Luis Hernandez (No. 2), both impressive offensively and defensively.
Given how Adames performed in the field, Buster Posey was asked whether he sees Adames moving away from shortstop to play second base in the future , with the young shortstops gaining steam, especially after a down season. The President of Baseball Operations made his plan for Adames very clear.
"I see his future as a as a shortstop," Posey said via NBC Sports Bay Area & California on YouTube .
"To speak for Willie, there's no doubt the way he moved this year that his back was bugging him. And he's not going to sit up here and say this because that's not his nature. So 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."
Adames is still a power threat at the plate and has been in MVP conversations twice in his MLB career; getting him healthy only helps the Giants as they look to contend in 2027. As for the two shortstop prospects, their time will come, but for Posey, Adames is still his shortstop until further notice.
Adames is under contract with San Francisco through 2031, as Gonzalez and Hernandez are given MLB ETAs of 2029 and 2030, respectively.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/giants/onsi as Buster Posey Doubles Down on Willy Adames' Future Role with Giants .
