What Adames addition means for Fitzgerald, rest of Giants’ infield originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
DALLAS — Even with all of the attention that came with his midseason Barry Bonds impersonation, Tyler Fitzgerald did a pretty good job of keeping a level head. He was open about his disappointing numbers down the stretch, and as he packed to head home for the winter he said he knew there was a good shot that the Giants would look for a new shortstop.
“We’ll see what kind of moves we make,” Fitzgerald said in September. “I know that my job is not secure, especially with how I played [late in the season], but I think a role is in my future, for sure. I think I’ve earned some kind of role to start next year.”
His new boss certainly agrees.
Before the Willy Adames contract became official, Posey called Fitzgerald to keep him in the loop. Posey couldn’t talk about Adames on Monday when he first met with reporters at the Winter Meetings because the new shortstop had not yet taken his physical, but he did make it clear that the big addition won’t keep Fitzgerald out of the lineup. The Giants anticipate the homegrown infielder starting on the other side of the bag.
“I think Tyler has some real upside at second base,” Posey said.
Getting the Adames deal done so early in the offseason comes with a lot of benefits, including the fact that Fitzgerald now can focus on just one position. He had planned to prepare as a shortstop because that would make it easier to transition if he ended up at second, and he now can spend the rest of the offseason working at just one spot. Coming into last spring, he was poised for a utility role.
Manager Bob Melvin believes the clarity will be a big deal for the second-year player. He noted that Fitzgerald took off at the plate after the Giants gave up on the Nick Ahmed experiment and let him play shortstop, his natural position, instead of also taking reps at second, third, the outfield and even first base.
“I think as we saw last year, once he was given the opportunity to play every day, it looked a lot different,” Melvin said.
With Matt Chapman at third, Adames at short and Fitzgerald at second, the Giants are as set on the infield as they’ve been in years. The big remaining question is at first base, where incumbent LaMonte Wade Jr. is coming off an up-and-down season and Wilmer Flores is hoping to bounce back from a disappointing year that ended with knee surgery.
During the Winter Meetings, Posey and general manager Zack Minasian both spoke highly of Wade, who had a .438 on-base percentage in the first half but dipped to .316 after the break. He played just 117 games and has been hampered by lower-body injuries in recent years, but he also posted a second straight two-WAR season and will make about $5 million in arbitration, a very reasonable price for a corner infielder.
Posey, who played with Wade in 2021, called him a “special player,” saying his ability to get on base brings a lot to the lineup. Minasian said Wade’s on-base skills are “highly valued in today’s game” and added that he’s a trusted defender. Still, both execs said the Giants would be open-minded about first base.
“Personally I’m very comfortable with LaMonte — I know Buster is, too,” Minasian said. “It’s not going to stop us from looking at players at that position.”
Minasian pointed out that the Giants have a DH spot to fill, too, and that could make a first-base type even more appealing. At some point, top prospect Bryce Eldridge is supposed to take over, but there are intriguing short-term options, including Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Santana. Goldschmidt, in particular, has a lot of fans in the organization, and Posey knows him all too well after spending years trying to figure out how to get him out at Oracle Park.
The Giants don’t intend to rush Eldridge, so they figure to have at-bats available at first base or DH for most of the season. Melvin said he would prefer to cycle players into the DH spot, and if Wade is still around and another first baseman is added, he could be a leading option. Wade also would be a somewhat appealing trade target for other organizations given his ability to get on base. Regardless of how it shakes out, the Giants could certainly use one more bat before the winter ends.
For now, as they prepare to introduce Adames, it’s Wade and Flores on the corner, and Melvin said the latter is excited about the way his rehab is going. Flores opted into the final year of his contract, and the Giants are planning to bring him to camp to see where he’s at and whether he can be part of the DH/first base mix. For all that went wrong in 2024, he was their most consistent hitter a year earlier.
“Vintage Wilmer would be almost like adding another [free agent] as well,” Melvin said. “He was not healthy enough to be himself last year after the year before where he was an absolutely terrific performer offensively. He can play some first base, too. It’s exciting to know that he is fully healthy. When you talk about another bat, it could be as simple as that if Wilmer is Wilmer.”
