Brewers manager going to miss departing shortstop Willy Adames: ‘Losing this guy, whew’

AP Baseball Writer

DALLAS (AP) — Brewers manager Pat Murphy has seen a lot of good players leave during his time in Milwaukee, and he isn’t ready to think about next season without departing shortstop Willy Adames.

“He was a leader in our clubhouse. He did as much for the ballclub as anybody,” Murphy said Monday at the winter meetings.

After helping the Brewers win the National League Central last season, the 29-year-old Adames is leaving in free agency after agreeing to a $182 million, seven-year contract with the San Francisco Giants.

“I can’t say enough about who he is. Player skills are what they are. Everybody has strengths and weaknesses. But who this guy is and how he goes about his business — how he treats people, how he treats his teammates, how he leads. Big void,” Murphy said. “We lost a lot. We lost (Cy Young winner Corbin) Burnes. We lost (All-Star closer Josh) Hader in the recent years. But losing this guy, whew.”

Adames is coming off his best offensive season in the big leagues after hitting .251 with a career-high 32 homers and 112 RBIs. He played in 161 games.

While it was Murphy’s first season as manager, and he was the NL Manager of the Year, he was on Craig Counsell’s staff in Milwaukee the eight seasons before that. That included the entire time Adames was there after being acquired in a trade from Tampa Bay in May 2021.

Adames has provided consistent power, with 150 homers in the big leagues since his debut with Tampa Bay in the middle of the 2018 season. He is also a solid defensive shortstop with a strong arm and good range, though his metrics slipped a little this year.

“He’s a good player, man. You can break down a lot of things. There’s a lot of situations year to year,” Murphy said. “Everybody, as they get older, it looks like their defensive metrics change. Willy knows how to play. His confidence is at an all-time high. He puts pressure on himself. He’s his own worst critic, but he’s a total ballplayer. But he has weaknesses like everyone else.”

Murphy is excited for Adames personally, even though he will miss having him in Milwaukee.

“The human being that he is, that’s what makes him great. His attitude that he brings every single day, how he goes about his business, consummate professional,” Murphy said. “Played 161 games and would have played 162. This kid is special. He deserves everything he gets. I couldn’t be happier.”

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