The Yankees and Giants are among the many groups which have proven curiosity in Willy Adames, writes Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The market’s prime shortstop has additionally been tied to the Astros, Phillies, Blue Jays, Braves and Red Sox all through the offseason.
New York’s prime precedence is re-signing Juan Soto. They might know inside the subsequent few days whether or not Soto will keep within the Bronx or settle for a $600MM+ supply elsewhere. If Soto walks, there’d be a whole lot of stress on each proprietor Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman to land a number of gamers from the subsequent tiers of free company.
Adames and Alex Bregman are in all probability the next-best place gamers. Neither goes to come back near Soto’s contract, after all, however they may every land a deal within the $150-200MM vary. While Bregman can be a extra simple positional match, it’s doable the group might nonetheless have animosity over the third baseman’s position within the 2017 sign-stealing operation. Adames carries no such baggage.
The Yankees don’t want a shortstop. Anthony Volpe is likely one of the sport’s prime defensive infielders. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com wrote just lately that the Yanks have been unwilling to maneuver Volpe off the place. Adames is reportedly prepared to think about a place change, although it’s doable he’d signal with a group that’ll hold him at shortstop if he’s weighing a number of provides in the identical worth vary.
Shortstop is the one infield place that’s settled within the Bronx. Jazz Chisholm Jr. can be within the combine at both second or third base. If Chisholm replaces Gleyber Torres on the keystone, the highest inner third base prospects are DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and prospect Caleb Durbin. That’s not ample for a group attempting to get again to the World Series. The Yankees might additionally improve at first base, the place Ben Rice is the very best in-house choice.
Adames hasn’t performed third base within the majors. He has 10 profession video games exterior of shortstop, all of which got here at second base throughout his 2018 rookie season. Shortstops often transfer to different infield positions with out difficulty. Adames has plus arm power and athleticism. His sometimes sturdy defensive grades dipped this 12 months due to a spike in errors, however there’s not a lot purpose to imagine he wouldn’t be an efficient third baseman.
There’d be no want for a place change in San Francisco. President of baseball operations Buster Posey stated initially of the offseason that the Giants wished so as to add a shortstop. That’d permit them to maneuver Tyler Fitzgerald to second base, the place he’s a greater match. San Francisco was linked to Ha-Seong Kim, the market’s #2 shortstop, just a few weeks in the past.
Kim is getting back from labrum surgical procedure on his throwing shoulder. That makes him riskier than Adames however ought to dramatically cut back the worth. While Adames is more likely to signal for six or seven years, Kim might accept a two-year deal that enables him to decide out after subsequent season. The former Padres infielder additionally has an apparent connection to San Francisco skipper Bob Melvin.
Adames rejected a qualifying supply from the Brewers. The Yankees and Giants every exceeded the luxurious tax threshold this 12 months, in order that they’d pay the very best penalties to signal a professional free agent. Either group would lose their second- and fifth-highest choose in subsequent summer time’s draft and $1MM from their 2026 worldwide signing bonus pool.
