Adames at Shortstop Gives the Giants a Position—and a Test

Buster Posey made the Giants’ most conspicuous infield decision before the offseason had much chance to become vague: Willy Adames remains projected as San Francisco’s shortstop.

That announcement, made Tuesday during the club’s season review, gives the Giants something they badly lacked during a 65-97 finish—a clearly identified standard. Adames is the player the organization is backing at the position, and the defense there will be one of the cleanest ways to judge whether that backing was sound.

It is a useful commitment. It is not a defensive solution.

For a team coming off a 65-97 season, clarity has practical value. An undefined infield invites every weakness to become an offseason reshuffle. The Giants can now evaluate their work from a fixed starting point: Adames is expected to play shortstop, and the club must build a better defensive arrangement around him rather than treating the position as an open-ended debate.

That makes accountability easier to see. If the same problems surface next season, the front office and coaching staff cannot point to constant experimentation as the explanation. The decision also gives Adames a clear assignment instead of asking him to prepare for a string of possible roles while the organization searches for a broader answer.

The danger lies in confusing continuity with stability. A familiar shortstop can help a defense only if his performance is dependable. Keeping Adames in place does not, by itself, improve his movement, range or throwing execution. It removes one variable from the lineup card; it does not remove the central question about how well the position will be played.

Posey offered his assessment that a back issue affected Adames’ movement during 2026. That may be an important part of the club’s thinking, but it remains an assessment rather than a demonstrated correction. A possible explanation for diminished movement is not proof that the movement has returned. The Giants still need to see the position play better.

There is a sensible baseball case for resisting another major adjustment. Adames already knows the position and has experience working within San Francisco’s infield structure. Moving him elsewhere could create a second alignment question while leaving shortstop unresolved.

Eldridge and Devers are currently expected to divide the first-base and designated-hitter work also leaves the club with several lineup and infield details to settle. Preserving one familiar assignment can be valuable when other pieces require definition.

But the case for continuity has a firm limit: familiarity does not turn poor defense into adequate defense. Shortstop is judged through ordinary sequences—the routine grounder that should become an out, the quick transfer on a play with limited time, the throw that allows an inning to end instead of continuing. Those moments rarely dominate a season-review conference.

They are still where a defense earns or loses trust.

The Giants therefore need to pair Posey’s endorsement with a serious evaluation of the work around it. That includes preparation, positioning, communication and a clear understanding of what Adames can physically handle. Supporting a player and scrutinizing his performance are compatible responsibilities. In fact, the public commitment makes the scrutiny more straightforward.

The surrounding infield matters, too. A shortstop does not operate in isolation, and his work is connected to the second baseman’s positioning, the first baseman’s receiving and the pitching staff’s ability to manage contact. Those factors can help a defense function.

They cannot become a fog around the primary issue: San Francisco has chosen Adames as its shortstop, and the organization must determine whether his play at that spot is good enough.

That judgment will come through observable performance. If routine chances become routine outs and difficult plays are handled more consistently, Tuesday’s decision will look like a reasonable vote for continuity. If the same defensive failures remain, the announcement will look less like accountability than an early excuse.

Posey has provided the Giants with a name and a standard. The next season’s ground balls will decide whether he provided anything more.

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