Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow made it known he wanted to add a right-handed bat this offseason to a lefty-heavy Boston lineup.
Well, one of the top right-handed-hitting options came off the table Saturday evening.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported shortstop Willy Adames agreed to a massive seven-year, $182 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. The deal is pending a physical, per Passan.
Adames had a career season in 2024 with the Milwaukee Brewers. He slugged 32 home runs and collected 112 RBIs while batting .251 with 21 stolen bases. It was the second time in the last three seasons Adames hit over 30 homers in a season.
It’s hard to imagine Adames’ power numbers staying the same at San Francisco’s pitcher-friendly Oracle Park. It seemed his swing would have been better suited for Fenway Park and it was reported last month that the Red Sox had “strong interest” in the 29-year-old infielder.
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According to Passan, the Giants made Adames their top free agent priority, something the Red Sox obviously didn’t as they are fully engaged in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.
This is the second high-profile free agent in as many days that the Red Sox were connected to but ultimately lost out on. The Red Sox reportedly made a “serious push” for Shane Bieber before he decided to return to the Cleveland Guardians.
