Days into free agency, MLB rumors are swirling about Juan Soto as the All-Star outfielder takes meetings with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and other clubs. While Soto is the most coveted player in MLB free agency, there’s another star bat that World Series contenders are hot after.
This is considered a fairly strong crop of top MLB free agents this offseason, with All-Star talent available at multiple positions. Soto is going to land the biggest contract and is generating the most headlines, but there’s another premium bat who teams now find themselves in a bidding war for.
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According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, former Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames is drawing serious interest from the Astros, Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox and Atlanta Braves right now.
- Willy Adames stats (ESPN): .251/.331/462, .794 OPS, 32 home runs, 112 RBI
Adames, age 29, provided consistent production near the top of the Brewers lineup for several years. From 2022-’24, he averaged 29 home runs, 31 doubles and 97 RBI per season with a .757 OPS. He’s also coming off a career-high in home runs (33) and his second 30-homer campaign in the last three years.
The veteran shortstop can also play fairly well defensively. Last season, per Baseball Savant, he finished in the 75th percentile for Arm Strength (88.2) and placed in the 68th percentile for Range (1) at his position. Several MLB teams are also looking into him at a new position, which the right-handed hitter is open to.
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How Willy Adames fits with each team
The Brewers have already resigned themselves to losing one of their best hitters this offseason. While Adames popped up in MLB rumors ahead of the July trade deadline, Milwaukee decided to keep him with the understanding it would lose him in MLB free agency.
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The Dodgers have long been viewed as one of the most likely landing spots for Adames. He came up in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, where president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman witnessed his development into one of the best shortstops in baseball.
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While he is squarely on the Dodgers’ radar, there’s significant competition from the Yankees and Astros. New York is focused on re-signing Soto right now, but it would likely pivot to Adames if Soto signs with another club. As for Houston, its first objective is to try and re-sign Alex Bregman but the contract demands of the All-Star third baseman could force the Astros to pivot to the younger player (Adames) who has outproduced Bregman over the last two seasons.
As for the Red Sox, their first priority seems to be on landing a top starting pitcher with Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes and Max Fried on their radar. If Boston were to land Adames, he would likely move to second base with Rafael Devers at third and Trevor Story at shortstop.
