Free Agents Being Open to New Positions Will Help Their Cause

Outside of the obvious superstars like Juan Soto, Willy Adames and Alex Bregman, the 2024-25 MLB free agent class is surprisingly shallow; especially on the position player side. There simply isn’t as much star power as there was at this time last year.

Soto is a candidate to earn the second-largest contract in MLB history while a number of other position players are in line for significant deals of their own. Still, it’s hard to argue the fact that there’s less “wow factor” than there was in last winter’s class.

Adames and Bregman in particular are noteworthy, as they’ve expressed an early willingness to switch positions if it’s needed. That kind of flexibility will do nothing but increase their value to clubs in need of some help around the infield.

During the 2024 regular season, position switches for Bryce Harper (OF -> 1B), Mookie Betts (OF -> SS) and Xander Bogaerts (SS -> 2B) got plenty of time in the headlines. Harper and Betts in particular made it look easy in their first seasons at new spots.

Alongside Adames and Bregman this winter, Reds infielder Matt McLain is shifting to center field in the AFL while he recovers from a shoulder surgery and it’s already been announced that career-long catcher Willson Contreras will shift to first base for the Cardinals on a permanent basis in 2025.

It’s not always a given that players, regardless of their talent and athleticism, can take to brand new positions well right off the bat. Not everybody can be freakish super-athletes like Harper and Betts

Willy Adames’ Potential Position Change

Adames is 880 games into his big-league career and he’s made exactly 10 appearances at a non-shortstop position. He played 77 innings at second base back in 2018 but it’s been nothing but shortstop since.

Rumor has it that the 29-year-old’s preference is to remain at shortstop, but he’d be willing to consider a move to another position (third base would be the best fit) if he signs with a team that’s already got a superstar shortstop. Early hot-stove rumblings are tying the free agent to the Mets, who have this guy named Francisco Lindor holding down SS on a nightly basis.

On the current free agent market, Adames is far and away the best-available infielder. He’s historically been up and down on defense, sometimes making the seemingly impossible plays while also having his fair share of boneheaded blunders just to shake things up a bit.

Notably, the 2024 season was easily the worst defensive one Adames has ever turned in. His DRS fell from 8 in 2023 all the way down to -16 in 2024, which is more than a little concerning. Even still, he finished in the 68th percentile in OAA while also landing in the 75th in Arm Strength. The odds of him completely losing the ability to play shortstop before the age of 30 are slim, so it’s entirely possible that this season was an outlier.

Either way, Adames feels like a player who could shift over to third base and handle the position competently.

Alex Bregman’s Potential Position Change

Bregman 30, finished in the 91st percentile in OAA this past season, but his Arm Strength was only good for the 26th percentile. Regardless, he took home the first Gold Glove of his career.

He finished second in the AL in Defensive Runs Saved, a metric used to calculate how many runs a defender personally saves, behind Ernie Clement of the Blue Jays, who had 10.

Bregman tied with Jose Ramirez with his six DRS. He outperformed both Clement and Ramirez in OAA, while playing more games at third base than anyone in the AL and receiving the most defensive chances. Since Matt Chapman has moved over to the NL, Bregman’s top competition has moved on, which is the biggest reason he took home the award.

Since Savant started tracking Arm Strength, Bregman hasn’t been able to secure a positive rating on his arm.

• 2020: 30th percentile

• 2021: 26th percentile

• 2022: 25th percentile

• 2023: 26th percentile

• 2024: 26th percentile

Throughout the years, range remained his best defensive trait. The last time Bregman appeared at a non-third spot was in 2019 when he made 65 appearances at shortstop. Short is not where he’s meant to end up with that arm strength, but second base is calling his name.

Bregman, a nine-year veteran, has had a decorated career full of personal accomplishments and World Series rings. He’s been as consistent as they come over the years, but most of that lies in his bat. The hardware he took home in 2024 may show some teams that he can stick at third, but odds are he’d draw a ton of attention as a second baseman.

It’s also worth mentioning that Bregman would instantly become one of, if not the, best offensive players at the position if he did end up making a switch.

Which Teams Could Use These Stars at Different Positions?

There are plenty of teams that could use these two players at their current full-time positions. The Red Sox, Brewers, Dodgers and Giants stand out as ones that could use Adames at shortstop; while the Blue Jays, Astros, Mariners and Yankees could all use Bregman as their third baseman.

For the purpose of this discussion, though, let’s look around the league and determine which clubs could use Bregman and/or Adames at a different position than their standard one.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Max Muncy turned in the best defensive performance of his career at third base in 2024, so he may have earned another look there next season. With Mookie Betts moving back to the infield, the club could conceivably look to sign Bregman as a second baseman with the inconsistent-but-still-young Gavin Lux becoming trade bait.

New York Mets

The Mets have already been tied to Adames as a third baseman early on, and they feel like one of the best fits. The Dodgers could use him as a shortstop with Betts shifting to second base, but this feels like an offseason where the Mets go all-in.

Francisco Lindor is obviously not going anywhere, but the buzz as of late has been that Adames could play third while Mark Vientos could move to first base and take over for a departing Pete Alonso. This makes all the sense in the world if Alonso moves on in free agency.

New York Yankees

Similarly to the Dodgers, the Yankees have a hole to plug in their infield and they’re going to aim at the top of the free-agent market to do so. Gleyber Torres is finally no longer their problem, so Jazz Chisholm Jr. is either going to play second or third in 2025. Whichever position he doesn’t go to will be wide open for either Adames or Bregman, and we all know the Yankees would have no problem enticing them monetarily.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants could use either of these superstars, as they’re one of the most obvious teams in need of infield help this winter. Chapman has third base locked down and it’s not crazy to think that rookie standout Tyler Fitzgerald earned an extended look at shortstop next year, despite the fact that defensive metrics were not kind to him at the position.

That leaves second base wide open. Casey Schmitt is currently penciled in atop their depth chart at the position, but the Giants are not going to be content with that situation heading into next season.

Seattle Mariners

Over in Seattle, J.P. Crawford turned in a strong showing at shortstop in 2024, but the Mariners are without a reliable option at either second or third base.

It remains to be seen how aggressive they’re going to be with some of the open market’s top names, but non-tender candidate Josh Rojas is their top option at third while utilityman-extraordinaire Dylan Moore is the best they’ve got at second. Both spots have a clear need for more offense.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays may very well be preparing for another disappointing offseason after missing out on Shohei Ohtani last winter. The club already has eyed Juan Soto, the best-available free agent, but they have needs at both second and third base.

Ernie Clement was a finalist for a Gold Glove at third, but he can bounce around and may be best utilized as an oft-used utility player. Second base could be handed over to either Spencer Horwitz or Will Wagner in 2025, but the Blue Jays need an experienced veteran with a solid bat. They may not be the sexiest pick, but it’s hard to ignore their obvious needs.