Willy Adames is drawing “very broad” interest in free agency, with MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (X link) naming the Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, and Red Sox as clubs looking at the shortstop. The Dodgers, Giants, and Yankees are also mentioned in a somewhat more speculative fashion, under the general premise that teams with infield needs — rather than specific shortstop needs — have Adames on their radar.
Reports surfaced a couple of weeks ago that Adames was open to moving off shortstop if the situation warranted, thus further opening up his market of potential suitors. Looking at Morosi’s list, the Braves would seemingly be the only one of the four clubs that would be looking at Adames as a shortstop, since Atlanta has a clear need at the position.
Orlando Arcia struggled through a very rough year at the plate in 2024, and replacing Arcia with Adames at shortstop would provide a huge upgrade to the Braves’ lineup. Signing Adames would represent a new frontier for Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, as Marcell Ozuna’s four-year, $65MM deal from the 2020-21 offseason is the largest free agent contract Anthopoulos has handed out over his seven-plus years running the Braves’ front office.
Adames’ expected contract would more than double Ozuna’s deal. MLBTR predicted a six-year, $160MM contract for Adames. Adding somewhere in the range of $26.6MM in average annual value onto the Braves’ books would continue to boost a payroll that has plenty of long-term commitments in place, though Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias are both free agents after the 2025 season, and technically Chris Sale could be as well if Atlanta doesn’t exercise a club option on his services for 2026.
Signing with Boston would open up several defensive possibilities for Adames. Trevor Story is the incumbent shortstop and still an excellent defender, even if injuries have limited Story’s offense and playing time altogether over his three seasons with the Red Sox. Story is still owed $77.5MM through the 2027 season, and while he can opt out of his contract after the 2025 campaign, an opt-out doesn’t seem at all likely given the veteran infielder’s last few years.
The Sox used Story at second base in 2022 when Xander Bogaerts was still on the team, so Story could shift over to the keystone again to accommodate Adames. Or, perhaps the simplest answer is just to install Adames as the regular second baseman, hopefully finally ending the revolving door that has been Boston’s second base position in recent years.
Star prospects Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell could slot into the infield mix as early as 2025 if Campbell isn’t utilized as an outfielder. Once the Sox see what they have in the youngsters and need to find playing time, the Red Sox could them perhaps use Adames as a third baseman, bumping Rafael Devers into a first base or DH role. There are plenty of moving parts defensively, yet Adames would provide a clear boost to a lineup in sore need of a big right-handed bat.
Bo Bichette is coming off a miserable 2024 season, yet he remains Toronto’s everyday shortstop heading into his final year of team control. With Bichette in the fold, the Jays could use Adames at second or (more likely) third base, as the Blue Jays’ collective of in-house young infielders are almost all better suited defensively to the keystone than the hot corner.
If Bichette was to leave in free agency next winter, Toronto could explore simply moving Adames back to shortstop, thus addressing a major position in relatively easy fashion. Second and third base could then be occupied on a more permanent basis by one of the Blue Jays’ incumbent infielders, depending on which stood out during the 2025 season. Again, the offensive upgrade is obvious, since Adames, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and what the Jays hope will be a resurgent Bichette form a powerful lineup core on paper.
It is worth mentioning that Adames has played virtually his entire MLB career at the shortstop position, and he hasn’t played anywhere else on the diamond since making 10 appearances as a second baseman during his 2018 rookie season with the Rays. Moving to third base would therefore represent an entirely new challenge for the 29-year-old, which provides an interesting backdrop to the Astros’ pursuit.
Since Jeremy Pena and Jose Altuve have the middle infield positions covered, Houston would therefore be looking at Adames as a third baseman if Alex Bregman signed elsewhere. Astros GM Dana Brown has described re-signing Bregman as “our biggest priority,” so while Bregman’s departure is far from a foregone conclusion, the Astros surely have some backup plans in mind if their longtime third baseman did leave.
Replacing Bregman with another high-priced free agent infielder would count as a bit of a surprise, given how Brown has said his club “may have to get a little bit creative” in managing the payroll this winter. The same applies to the Blue Jays, as Toronto already posted a team-record high payroll in 2024 with only a last-place finish in the AL East to show for it. The Red Sox have plenty of payroll room open, and while the team has shied away from major free agents in the last few years, Boston has already been linked to a wide range of top names (Juan Soto, Max Fried, Teoscar Hernandez, Blake Snell), so the Sox seem to be signaling that they are ready to again shop in the high-rent district.
Since Adames is sure to reject the Brewers’ qualifying offer, a new team would face some sort of penalty for signing him. The Braves and Astros both exceeded the luxury tax in 2024, and thus signing Adames or any qualified free agent would cost the club $1MM in international bonus pool money, plus their second- and fifth-highest picks in the 2025 draft. It is a steep penalty to pay, though the draft hit could be slightly lessened in the form of a compensatory pick after the fourth round if either the teams’ own qualified free agents (Houston’s Bregman, Atlanta’s Fried) signed elsewhere.
The Blue Jays (just barely) and Red Sox stayed under the tax threshold this season, so both would have to give up $500K of international bonus pool money as well as their second-highest 2025 draft selection. The Sox also have a qualified free agent of their own in Nick Pivetta, and if Pivetta departed, Boston’s compensatory pick could come before the start of the third draft round.
Otherwise known as “The Usual Suspects.”
It’s missing the mystery team.
This – Wouldn’t that be a hoot if Adames is the “higher ceiling big free agent” the Red Sox have been referring to!!
He hopefully won’t be Fever but he would be insurance for when Story and Mayer are injured.
dewey – You don’t pay what he’s asking for just to be an emergency backup. Even if those two guys do get injured (reasonable possibility) you’ve still got Rafaela, Campbell, Grissom and Hamilton to cover middle infield.
Let’s keep the free agent spending on the needed areas, starting pitching and relief pitching and eventually a third baseman.
Don’t forget, there will be pricey extensions given out soon. If they extend Anthony, Teel, Duran, Casas, Houck etc it will add up quickly.
I agree. it was a lot attempt at Humpty. The team has the money and the assets to again compete. We’re all waiting for Henry to show us he’s again willing to do so.
“We know we need to raise the ceiling of the rotation,”
Does Adames pitch?!? Then I’m pretty sure he isn’t what Breslow was referring to.
That said, I think he would be a great fit for the team. He is solid enough at SS and would upgrade 3B defensively – fully replacing Yoshida’s offense (and then some) while bringing the RHH power that the lineup lacks.
Devers to DH upgrades the pitching instantly. A pitcher who throws 180 innings while improving the ERA on those innings by half a run prevents ten runs from scoring. Putting Adames at 3B over Devers prevents ten runs from scoring.
I also like Bregman and Arenado in that role, but Adames might be the best fit (and possibly the easiest sign).
tff – What I meant is Breslow could be switching gears. Soto doesn’t pitch either, and outfield is a longterm strength for the Sox ….. so why go after him? To raise the celing, obviously.
Adames has played literally 99% of his 7,508 MLB innings at shortstop (with the remaining 1% at 1B). and he has never even played an inning at 3B in the minors. Sorry but assuming he can immediately become the everyday starting 3B seems far fetched. It also doesn’t make sense to pay him shortstop money and then play him at a less demanding position.
BTW – As if we don’t already have enough reasons to be skeptical about the Red Sox signing Burnes/Snell/Soto/Fried/Scott etc ….. I think it’s very telling that the Red Sox have leaked their “interest” in many of those players.
Isn’t it all about holding your cards close to the vest, not allowing the competition to know your plans? I really think if they were serious contenders for Snell, Soto etc they would have been an “unnamed team” instead of publicizing their interest. I strongly believe they are just trying to sell tickets right now with all these leaked reports. Sure they may still splurge on someone, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
We”ll see how it goes, but I don’t think Adames will get paid as a shortstop. He needs a move, either to 2B or 3B. My belief is that 3B is the better destination for him.
Hundreds of shortstops have moved to 3B over the years, just as hundreds of CFs have moved to LF. It is one of the more straightforward moves in the game, such that pretty much any shortstop can play 3B decently well. (Bogaerts struggled a bit with the move, but that was as a rookie and lots of rookies struggle a bit.)
If it happens it happens. Adames needs a move to an easier position and the Red Sox need a 3B who can field. Also checks the offensive box, and without trying to add yet another outfielder to the mix. Their bigger need is ace pitching, though, and pivoting to this wouldn’t resolve that issue.
tff – Well FWIW this place has Adames projected for $160M which is shortstop money. Sure, shortstops have shifted to 3B with ARod being one example. But for every ARod you’ve got a Xander who couldn’t make the change.
I’d be on board with Adames at 3B if he had some – ANY – experience there, and if Devers had some – ANY – experience at 1B.
Time will tell.
Devers has experience at DH. I’m not that down on Casas at 1B.
We’ll see what the market is like for Adames, but I could see $160M for him as a 3B. A shortstop who hits like that would get a lot more.
tff – Every position player who has swung a bat has the ability to DH, it’s not an actual fielding position.. LOL!
There is absolutely zero reason to devalue Devers by moving him directly to full-time DH if he can stay healthy, not without giving him ample opportunity to learn 1B. His biggest problem defensively has been the throwing, that is less of a factor at 1B.
There’s been much Casas trade chatter, where there’s smoke there’s fire. Personally I’d like to keep him for at least a year to see how he rebounds in 2025, but if the team deems him to be too much of a high maintenance headcase with injury concerns, I can see him getting traded while his value is high.
Okay, so sign Adames, move Devers to DH, and get him some experience at 1B when Casas takes a day off (or play Casas at DH those days). Bit of a catch-22 here, you don’t want to move Devers off 3B until he has experience at 1B, and he can’t get experience at 1B while he is playing 3B daily.
I agree that it makes sense to give Casas a chance to get healthy and/or sign a long-term deal before you try trading him.
In theory, a DH is worth 20 runs less than an average defensive 3B over a 162 game season. But that is probably overstated, and Devers is at least 5 if not 10 runs below average defensively at 3B. If you have a chance to improve the offense (Adames over Yoshida) and improve the defense (Adames over Devers), then you take it.
I believe Devers would be a +3 to +3.5 WAR player as a DH. Less wear on his body from trying to field a position that he doesn’t have the athleticism to handle well, thus his offensive production would likely jump. Teams are paying $12M/WAR these days for top free agents, so that’s easily enough to justify his contract.
The top four positions by OPS n MLB last year were DH (.742), 1B (.736), RF (.734), and SS (.728).. That last two are a bit misleading, as the best talents tend to end up there (while LF and 2B tend to be populated by players with limited physical ability). But the difference between 1B and DH is in my mind insignificant as long as you have at least ONE player competent at 1B. And since most players can learn 1B adequately, given a little practice, that isn’t a huge deal.
So I don’t see a problem playing Devers at DH and Casas at 1B this year, and don’t believe that precludes a move of Devers to 1B at some point if the situation warrants. At the very least, you would want Devers to be the backup 1B/3B, like Turner did in 2023.
I know WAR punishes that move, but I disagree that WAR should be the final word. And it makes a lot more sense to me than signing ANOTHER outfielder to play DH, as the learning curve is harder for an outfielder to learn 1B down the road.
tff – You are correct, Devers is -9 DRS last year. It’s a moot point for now though, as the Sox are adamant about keeping him at 3B for now. He can try 1B with reps in ST and the WBC would have been a great opportunity as well … but Cora keeps shooting down the idea.
Who knows though, maybe future health issues will force Cora’s hand eventually.
You know how that goes, Fever. They are adamant about keeping him at 3B up until the day they sign a 3B to replace him. At that point they are adamant about playing him at DH. You read more into their public statements than I do. I expect that I’m not hearing the whole truth.
tff – The best way to guess if they are lying is to think about possible ulterior motives.
When they said last offseason they would be GFIN, it was all about ticket sales, TV ratings, etc. Same thing when they said they were GFIN at the trade deadline …. it was just PR to give the false impression games would still be meaningful and exciting.
But when they say things that they don’t benefit from, I tend to believe them. When they finally said last offseason the payroll would probably be lower, I figured they were being straight because why would they lie about that?
It’s the same with Devers not moving off first base *yet*. What purpose would it serve to lie about that? Maybe for the extension they promised Devers he wouldn’t be moved for at least 3 years? Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if they were waiting for a resolution on Casas.
It’s interesting that you admit you don’t analyze what’s said and why, but yet you don’t trust much of what they say. Unfortunately that’s what you have to do with pathological liars, try to decipher what is the truth and what is BS.
And with Devers, he hasn’t practiced at first base at ANY time …. so why would we doubt they don’t plan to move him for next year?
If they are exploring defensive alternatives at 3B and let it be known that they are doing so, then what happens if nothing pans out? Devers ends up playing anyways, but it is publicly known that they are unhappy with his defense.
Management should really NEVER make any announcement of their intentions. Let the actions do the talking. Only reason why they are “pre-announcing” stuff (as with the “full throttle” and “raise the ceiling”) is because their actions in recent years have been so bad that fans no longer give them the benefit of the doubt. Of course it ends up being even worse if they aren’t able to close deals.
I doubt Devers is moving immediately to first base regardless. The immediate move would be to DH, and that would allow him chance to work out at 1B.
Who has Adames on their “being looked at by the Red Sox” Bingo card?
Braves standing out like a bum browsing at Bergdorf’s.
Just seems that the Giants and Blue Jays make the most sense because Willy would stay at short (and the Braves probably don’t need the payroll hit and will still be very competitive without him).
In the case of the Giants and the Blue Jays, Fitzgerald and Bichette move to 2b.
Pete – And the Red Sox make no sense at all.
They’ve got Story, Rafaela, Campbell and Mayer all for several years and all play shortstop.
..
Adames aged quickly at SS last year. He can still handle the position decently, but like many SS he is best moved to 3B.
The Red Sox need a 3B. Mayer belongs at SS, Rafaela in CF. Maybe Campbell could be the answer in the future, but he might also be better elsewhere.
WRT the Dodgers looking at Willy, I think Adames is still a solid SS. By the time his range is eroding and he’s ripe for a move to 3B, Muncy will be ready to hang it up.
tff – I have a theory on his defensive decline THIS year. He didn’t appear to be injured, and he improved quite a bit offensively. I am guessing he focused a lot more on his hitting which decreased the amount of time he focused on his defense. Offense always gets bigger contracts than defense.
So you prefer Duran in LF, Rafaela in CF and Anthony in RF over Teo in LF, Duran in CF and Anthony in RF?
In other words he bulked up and lost the flexibility that he needs to play shortstop. Same reason Bogaert’s defense improved at the same time his power evaporated.
I agree with that take, but it is also part of the aging process. Either he works to take that weight off or he maintains it and moves to an easier position. He is more valuable in the second case, unless a team really needs a shortstop.
Absolutely don’t want to see Hernandez in LF. That would be a massive downgrade defensively. If the Red Sox sign him, it makes a lot more sense to play their defensive players on defense, cut Yoshida, and put Hernandez at DH. If you don’t think THAT makes sense, then don’t sign Hernandez!
Let’s write an article every day about a FA and then copy and pasted the teams that generally w at to compete in the it also add the RedSox too because some of the fans still think John cares
So you think Henry wont spend any money this offseason? Sure.
Has he the last 2?
If the Braves are “publicly linked” to anyone….near 0% chance of that actually happening.
Linked by Morosi and no one in the organization
Adames in Boston please. Adames, Teo and Crochet
I would like to have Adames in Boston, seems unlikely though. Lots of moving parts with existing infielders on left side of the infield, and couldn’t flip Mayer for Crochet after because White Sox top position prospect is also SS.
Unfortunately, he has Mets connections with Stearns, and Dodgers are interested, so Red Sox would seem like a long(er) shot to sign him.
I’d rather sign Alonso for less years at similar money as full time DH.
Teams always want short stop propects. If it was one for one trade and extention signed mayers for crochet makes sense then you could save all the other 4 or 5 propects that will most likely turn into top propects in next couple years
We have potentially 3 infielders out of the prospect class, and we don’t know if any of them will pan out. Chances are 1 or more will switch positions out of eventual need whether it’s inside the infield or outfield.
EVERY SINGLE INFIELDER ON THIS TEAM IS EXPENDABLE. Let’s get that out of the way so we understand where this team is actually at. No one is worth keeping when confronted with either a chance to shed their salary or upgrade them. Harsh, but true. Devers included. Each of these guys has serious negatives attached to them in the form of money, or their play.
So, it isn’t a matter if this move makes sense with what we currently have, but what does it do to help if it happens, It’s actually addresses, upgrades and solves 1 of the 5 blatant major problems with this team, and it makes the bench fairly strong, provided we Grissom stays in the aftermath and Rafaela is places in a super utility role and actually learns to be a hitter and not a hacker..
That being said, if they were to land Adames it would most likely be a shuffling of fielders to accommodate him. Story to second as an example, or other way round. Bonus is the righty bat. Grissom becomes expendable or the utility infielder with a righty bat. Rafaela becomes the righty bat that plays utility outfield with no more being exposed in the infield unless an emergency. The black hole at second is finally over since the Pedroia days. All in all, not a bad move when you think about it. It is a sizable upgrade while we also get to kick one player off the roster that shouldn’t have probably been there.
The contract won’t age too terribly because the hot shot prospects are ss and 3rd base, meaning Adames can switch over to second as Story comes off the books, or the other guys come up. Nice solution to the righty handed hitter problem, especially with trading one lefty outfielder to make room for another right-handed hitting outfielder like a Hernandez. You end up with your back up infielder and outfielder hitting righty to offset all the lefty hitting prospects down the line.
We have potentially 3 infielders out of the prospect class, and we don’t know if any of them will pan out.
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But that’s the same for any prospect. We have Mayer, Hamilton, Grissom, and maybe Campbell. If we sign Adames, we guarantee that none of them will get a shot.
Joe – Exactly BUT it’s not going to happen. Again, no evidence of even a semi-star player like Adames coming to Boston. It’s a bad fit so that makes it more likely based on recent history but still the odds are minuscule!!!
Ian Browne is now putting on a full court marketing BS press about Soto. It’s laughable. He claims Devers doesn’t want to be the face of the franchise. That set off my BS alarm the minute I read it. He was declared the face of the franchise by Theo’s scout when Devers was 14. Devers has NEVER fought it. If he had moved off DH I might consider it to be true but he hasn’t. He loves being the King of the Red Sox and he doesn’t care if that is on a winning team or a mediocre team.
If we jump in our WAY=BACK machine to 2021 or 2022 or 2023 I believe the innuendos about who we will be signing are identical. We are in on everyone and we chose no one.
Lets hope the front office doesn’t ruin the great progress with the farm system and move players in the same fashion they moved Sale. The idea of bottling the talent not dispersing it doesn’t seem to be understood by the front office. The all-stars keep going out the door and no all=stars are coming in the door. Think about what all-stars are still left.
Mookie – gone, Bogey – gone, Benny – gone, Martinez = gone, Price – gone, Sale = gone, Devers – still killing us defensively, Duran – being discussed in trades, Houck – still here but not appreciated, Kenley – gone.
Not many all-stars left to give away and NOT ONE all-star acquired. I can’t understand why people keep suggesting the same garbage year after year about the star players we are going to acquire. It reduces the enormous profits the organization is stock piling. Why would they do it?
Yeah, but 2 of them might get a front end starter in trade. But then you have to live with the possibility (albeit slim) that you might be trading Jeff Bagwell.
Sagacity
Again, no evidence of even a semi-star player like Adames coming to Boston.
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I don’t blame RS for being skeptical, but for the folks that insist that the RS won’t sign anyone, I am not sure what the point of reading these threads is.
Joe – I read the stories despite them not having any substance because sometimes good discussions come out of the posts. You and I have had some good ones recently and the same can be said for Bruin1012. I think it’s important to damper the high enthusiasm for trading since it’s been non-existent in recent years but more importantly I think it’s important to discuss which players NEED to stay with the club because we’ve traded away so, so many great players or simply let them go and we can’t keep dropping the overall value of the talent on the roster. The farm system infuses new talent but it’s constantly in danger of being disrupted by bad decisions in the front office. Losing Duran or Houck would be a huge mistake along with so many others.
So I will continue to read the threads and look for good discussions and remind folks there is no evidence of a big trade being imminent.
william – Despite the early season injuries Devers had a .992 OPS on August 2 until his shoulders got to be too much. With him it’s a simple case of health, if he can remain healthy there’s no way you try to move him except to 1B in the future.
Rafaela’s greatest asset is his versatility, he will continue to play both infield & outfield and if he doesn’t improve his hitting he will probably be moving around the field for the remainder of his contract.
I’m good with signing Teo, I wanted him a year ago. Teo in LF, Duran in CF, Anthony in RF, and Abreu traded for pitching (not my preference, but it seems inevitable). I really think Teo is staying in LA though.
Sag – I know you’re a pissed off Red Sox fan, but Henry WILL have to sign at least a couple mid-tier players. As of right now they have a projected payroll of $142M, I guarantee that will increase at least $50M and there will be probably be at least one extension that brings the total CBT payroll over $200M. John Henry is cheap, but he’s not stupid enough to drop the payroll below $200M. He knows 2025 season ticket sales are abysmal. He knows 2024 revenue and profit are both down. The Sox will do what they have done in the past, let the most heavily sought free agents sign with other teams first and then pick over what’s left.
I’m thinking there’s a good chance the Sox trade for Crochet, and since he demanded an extension contingency that alone will raise payroll probably at least $20M annually.
FPG – I agree that Sox have most expendable position prospects (without including Anthony, Teel or Campbell) and a current starter (think Crawford or Winckowski) which is exactly the deal that Chicago got for Cease. So, lets do that.
Still need another MLB starter.
Forget Adames, I’m starting to think that Pete Alonso is best right-handed DH fit for this team, but only if we could sign him for less than four years, or maybe three yrs with an option. Alonso doesnt block any positional player prospect development or stop anyone from getting on the field in the near future.
123redsox — You are dreaming if you believe you get more than one of those three.
The Red Sox have the talent to trade for Crochet, especially if they sign Adames. I think ONeill makes more sense than Hernandez. And the Red Sox need a pen too.
Pete – ANY of the 3!!
That too.
I’m pretty happy to not see the Giants mentioned since I really hope they keep their powder dry this offseason and focus on letting the kids play
“Let the kids play?” Their 2B and 3B prospects have basically failed.
They need to sign Adames or maybe Bregman to cover 2B and add much needed offense.
They should sign Ha-Seong Kim for SS and Hye-Seong Kim for 2B. With Jung Hoo Lee in CF. S. Korean spine, lots of speed, good defense, good contact. Some novelty as well.
Not accurate at all. Hamilton had a very good year, and Mayer and Campbell haven’t hit the pros yet.
games 98 PA 317 AB 294 R 47 H 73 D 17 T 1 HR 8 RBI 28 SB33 CS4 W 22 K’s 80 AVG .248 OBP .303 SLG.395.
Is the bar really that low these days for “a very good year?”
Adequate defense and speed were the positives. Low avg, obp, slugging, low walks and high k’s were the negatives.
Is the bar really that low these days for “a very good year?”
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For a rookie, yes. In roughly a half-season, he had 8 HRs and 33 SBs. If I could double that for a full season (for the sake of debate), I would take that and never think twice.
But just out of curiosity, if Hamilton’s 2.6 bWAR in 294 ABs is not impressive, then why would you want to spend $150M on Adames with his 3.1 bWAR in more than twice the number of ABs?
I said, I think twice, I was NOT advocating for getting him. I was just pointing out it is not as stupid as usual because it upgrades the team by adding power and defense from a right-handed batter we need, solves the second base problem, pushes Grissom (righty bat) in a utility role, keeps Rafaela in the outfield, and still allows prospects to come up and possibly fail and be covered depending on how they follow up the acquisition.
If you think I want him though, you are wrong. I do not. I would rather get a righty hitter in the outfield for sure with contact and power skill sets. I think we are all set with high strike out, low average guys with massive splits. If you double Hamiltons at bats you still get the low average, low OBP, and low SLG despite the steals. You also can’t hit him against lefties, so you’re dealing with a platoon situation.
That is fine if you’re ok with Grissom and Hamilton sharing AB’s. However, I do see your point that ok is better than the really bad we have become accustomed to.
Seeing speed was nice, but I don’t value that above guys that field well, are everyday guys, make contact, get on base, and do damage against quality pitchers and not just feed off of bad pitching. You can see his stats against each pitcher to quickly see he did not fare well against above average pitchers. He was also platooned because of his troubles against lefties.
I am not saying you are wrong to like him. I am just saying I don’t care if I don’t see him playing because we upgraded for more defense and power at that particular position. We won’t upgrade, and I think you will see Hamilton platooning again.
That is fine if you’re ok with Grissom and Hamilton sharing AB’s.
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Many fair points. And yes, I’d be very comfortable platooning Grissom and Hamilton. Part of that is pure accounting. I might get 2.5-3.0 WAR from those guys. If I am going to spend $25 (not necessarily on Adames), I want a significant upgrade.
Even Soto replacing Abreu is not that much of an upgrade. Acquiring guys like Snell and/or Crochet, to push our #4/5 guys out of the rotation, is huge, imho.
Yup. That is why I am not advocating, just showing the reasoning why Adames is not a terrible pick for solving problems, but not necessarily the level of player you want to solve those problems. I want significant upgrades if dishing out large, multi-year contracts.
My issue with the Red Sox is that many of their mid to low tier pickups aren’t even aimed at solving problems, just maintaining the level of the problem.
CCooper8920 — Why “keep the powder dry” this off season when they’ve been doing that for 6 years? And next year’s FA list sucks.
Because I’ve given up on the Giants actually ever being able to sign a free agent but a guy on a big contract might become available.
This “can’t sign a FA” narrative is silly and won’t last much longer. They’ve signed quite a few very good FA’s the last few years (especially Chapman, Gausman, Rodon) but Farhan let them opt-out.
Farhan is gone and the Board over-ruled Greg Johnson (thank goodness) to allow Buster Posey and Minasian to take over.
Willy Adames is unlikely to remain a long-term shortstop due to his heavy-footed defense and larger frame, which limit his range and agility compared to leaner, quicker players like Dansby Swanson or Trea Turner. At age 29, Adames might only have 2-3 serviceable seasons at SS before needing to shift to third base, turning him into more of a “bat play.” While his offensive performance, leadership, and clubhouse presence are valuable, concerns about his defensive longevity and a swing that could struggle with aging bat speed make him a risky candidate for a long-term, high-value contract.
For me, I’d stay away from this guy unless it’s a team friendly contract.
I’d float 5/100-125 and wait him out. I don’t think he’s getting 6/150 for the exact reasons you listed.
I don’t think blue chip FA’s will be open to waiting out the market because they will want to avoid what happened to Snell, Chapman, Bellinger, and Monty last year. For 4 big name guys like that to all end up on team-friendly deals in the same offseason sends a message to players about the relatively diminishing marketing demands they can realistically make. 5/100 or 6/125 is plenty lucrative for Adames and that’s a contract he should be very pleased with if offered. I would also say Bregman’s ceiling should be 6/150 for similar reasons.
@Wagner>Cobb
I agree. 5-year somewhere around 100-120M. If someone gives him more, they’ll probably want to front load the contract so that when he declines in that 5th and 6th year, he’s not costing much.
Reports are mets have a 7 year 170 million offer but I could be wrong.
For Bregman or Adames?
First I’ve heard of this offer. Don’t know where it came from but if Adames is offered 7 years he should take it and be all smiles. 7 is too many from a team perspective. 5 years is borderline.
I think 5 is fine. His bat will still be good and will age well enough. But I agree 7 years is pushing the team’s luck.
Adames would be a good start of acquistions for the Bluejays in 2024/25. Add 2 reliable quality major league depth starters and 3 power arms for the bullpen and an offensive insurance policy for Bichette in case he breaks [again] and the Jays may have a chance to get out of the ALEast.
The Astros need to prioritize signing Lunhow.
Adames would obviously be a huge upgrade at ss for Atlanta. However, the loss of draft picks and international bonus money could be an issue. I will be surprised if he signs with Atl.
Once again we lose focus on what this team actually needs, and it’s not Adames. He is a very good bat, but we donot need an infielder! Pitching please with a righthanded outfield bat
The only way Adames fits with the Sox is if they make about 10 other moves. The easier solution would just be to pay for a top tier SP.
And bullpen arm
All-Star infielder? I don’t think he’s been an All-Star yet.
Last year I believe. Somebody else could confirm or deny
Which is weird.
I hope the Jays will trade Bassitts contract, try to trade Springer, even if you have to eat almost all of the final 2 years, and trade Bo if he is healthy at the beginning of the season. Get prospects for Bassitt and use them in combination with in house prospects to fill out the roster
I don’t see the Braves getting into a bidding war for Adames. I guess we’ll find out who really wants to upgrade at SS with a lot of legit contenders likely wanting an upgrade there.
@CarolinaCubsandKush
I think teams will find out that he’s not really an upgrade at SS.
He’s excellent on both sides of the ball.
I thought Boston was already overloaded with middle infielders?
Stop. Redsox have no desire to sign adames
For the Mets, instead of signing Soto for $60 per, for an extra $10 per ($70) they can sign Adames, Santander and resign Alonso, than get some pitching ( Buehler/Sasaki/Burnes/ Fried/ resign Manaea)
Yeah, but that leaves them with Alonso. Not happening.
Doesn’t matter. Every FA to the Dodgers and then let their clown bandwagon “fans” tell you how your favorite owner could spend $1B also. Idiots. Ruining what’s already a broken MLB.
@ManfredIsAJoke
But Manfred’s the joke……
I’m ready to sign a contract. Short term with an op-out. I am 59, but I got a blazing left handed 38 mph fastball with a slider that my 8 yr old neighbor is batting less than .100 with no Homer’s. I’m stiking him out at a 50% clip.
I think 3 yrs at 150 million with a 2nd yr opt out is fair.
Just tell the Spreadsheet Guys that your “underlying metrics” tell the real story, that your “rate stats are far more encouraging, than your subpar velocity”
I guarantee you a signed contract of “$2.25MM on a deal that offers another $750K in incentives”.
Oh wait, the Red Sox already gave that to Justin Wilson….LOL
Is it plausible the Red Sox could go get Fried, Snell, Teoscar, Adames and another nice piece instead of chucking everything at Soto?
Sure, if we suddenly find another $100M+ in the seat cushions.
Burnes, Fried, Adames and Teoscar. Leave Soto at the door
In what universe do you think you sign all 4 of those guys? Or even one?
Sox need to approach this off-season as if Story is not on the roster.
Once the Sox see what they have in the youngsters and need to find playing time, the Red Sox could them perhaps use Adames as a third baseman, bumping Rafael Devers into a first base or DH role.
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This sounds like one those fantasy offers where someone writes, if you move A to B, and the B to C, the D is perfect.
I have no doubt that trades could pop up that involve Yoshi or Casas, but I seriously doubt we are signing guys on a “what-if” basis.
I’m calling BS on this rumor.
Joe – I double down on your BS!!! And Devers to 1B? He can’t catch. Great idea putting him at the position that has to make the most catches!!!
Wow can people be more misguided when commenting on Devers? BURN HIS GLOVE and save the team!!! You add 10 wins or more if you burn his glove. He’s that bad and plays the position that gets the 2nd or 3rd most ground ball chances in baseball. His damage over the last 8 seasons if he was the worst left fielder in the game would have been 3 to 5 times smaller. That’s how brilliant it is continuing to play him at 3B.
Casas, Duran, Campbell, Anthony, Teel,Rafaela, Houck, Crawford and Bello should not be traded along with a few others in the Farm System The rest is expendable to build the team of the future. Devers only stays if he DHs. It’s called addition through subtraction when the defense by a player is the worst in history since the dead ball era.
Considering the number of times I’ve heard how the Red Sox are interested in so-and-so I have a funny feeling our biggest signing will end up being a half way decent reliever and resigning Pivetta after he rejected the QO for a longer deal.
3 years removed from his 137 OPS+ year, only a year removed from a sub 100 OPS+ year, doesn’t get on base well, strikeout prone, worst DRS of his career last year and by the end of this contract, if he gets the years being thrown around he’ll be in his mid thirties, and more than likely even less valuable than he is now.
Excellent chance to be Javier Baez 2.0
I wouldn’t. he has a 108 OPS+ over the past three years. That’s good, but if he moves to 2B, it isn’t great. And no way I would prioritize 2B over pitching. Given Grissom/Hamilton a chance
I hope the Astros sign him.
I have to agree with u..
Just what the Red Sox need; another Middle Infielder…
Well I hope the White Sox sign Pete Alonso if the Mets pass on him, we can DH Vaughn for a year.
Brewers fan here, have fun to whomever signs him with a guranteed below .240 avg, ton of K’S and defense that is growing worse.
I can trust my Red Sox to make the dumbest move time will tell.
I am praying that the Houston Astros will sign Willy Adams to a good contract
Before they sign Adames I think the Astros try to sign Bregman. Evn as he declines, Bregman is a fine player on both sides of the ball.
I’ll say it, I wouldn’t be terribly upset if the Braves didn’t get him. He’s gonna sign for big money, they expectations will be bigger than those already in the team signed for big money, and yes he’s a good ball player, but he’s kinda the same player we already have all over the field. Home run or bust. He gets on base at a high clip. Definitely an upgrade over Arcia by a million miles, but fans will forget all that and become frustrated when they see his batting avg only .230-.240 most of the season and blinded by the real production he has.