Willy Adames Could Solve a Problem for the Mets

This season, the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants are headed in the same direction—straight into a wall. Both teams are sitting very low in the standings, and they'll clearly be on the selling side when the trade deadline rolls around.

However, David Stearns (Mets) and Buster Posey (Giants) were active during the offseason in an effort to improve their teams' performance. Judging by both teams' current records, the results have been more than disappointing, and further moves could take place in 2026.

The latest rumor suggests that the Giants would be open to listening to offers for Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers, and Willy Adames. According to Buster Olney of ESPN, seeing Adames head to New York in exchange for Marcus Semien would make sense for both teams. This is speculation on his part, but well-connected sources like him rarely speak without good reason.

If this trade were to happen, Bo Bichette could move to second base, since Adames is capable of playing third base and Semien's departure would clear the way for that move. Of course, for this to happen, the Giants would have to absorb part of Adames's salary.

At the same time, Semien would return to the San Francisco Bay Area, having spent six seasons in an Oakland A's uniform.

Semien's arrival in New York, in exchange for Brandon Nimmo and financial compensation, was not met with unanimous approval in Queens. Mets fans adored Nimmo, an outfielder who had been steadily improving since his arrival in the majors and had become an important part of the team.

Since that trade, Pete Alonso has left and Bo Bichette has arrived. Let's just say that David Stearns' decisions haven't worked out in his team's favor—far from it. Would trading Semien to the Giants make up for a mistake? The answer is yes, but the most welcome outcome would be allowing Bichette to settle into the right role and finally put his defensive struggles behind him. Given that he might soon be heading elsewhere, this is something to take with a grain of salt.

In San Francisco, the honeymoon between Buster Posey and Giants fans is starting to feel like a hangover. The team's former catcher and the face of the franchise for 12 seasons isn't living up to the demands of his role as president of baseball operations and is drawing increasing criticism.

Before the current season, Posey handed the reins of the team to Tony Vitello, a manager with no Major League experience who came straight from the college ranks. It was a controversial decision that partly explains the team's poor performance; in 2026, they find themselves in the same league as the Colorado Rockies.

We can expect a lot of changes with both teams, but don't hold your breath for better results this season—it seems the ship has been sinking for quite some time now. At best, Stearns and Posey will look just a tad better.

Personally, I had predicted a higher ranking for the Mets and the Giants. I guess I was fooled by the smokescreen created by all those millions of dollars invested without much to show for it.

• Ouch.

• Juan Soto is experiencing back tightness.

• Jazz Chisholm Jr. takes it a step further.

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