Top Landing Spots For Free Agent Willy Adames

Willy Adames made himself a lot of money with his production in 2024. The 29-year-old is coming off a stellar campaign in which he set career highs in hits (153), doubles (33), home runs (32), RBI (112, tied for the fourth most in MLB), stolen bases (21), walks (74), xWOBA (.344), and fWAR (4.8).

After seven seasons split between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers, Adames now hits the open market as the clear-cut top available shortstop this offseason.

Adames has been a tremendous source of power and run production for the Brewers over the course of his 3+ years with the organization, and he’s established himself as one of the top offensive shortstops in the game over that time.

Dating back to the beginning of the 2021 season, Adames is tied with Corey Seager for the most home runs among shortstops across MLB with 112. No shortstop has more RBI than Adames either (363), and his 15.6 fWAR over that stretch is the eighth-best mark among MLB shortstops.

Adames is a dynamic shortstop that any team will be clamoring to get into their lineup. He’s durable, he can be a high-quality defender, and his power can be enough to take a team’s offense to a whole new level.

Given that he is far and away the top shortstop on the market, and that he is coming off a career year, whichever team signs him will have to be comfortable shelling out a contract that could push close to $200 million.

That price point all but certainly eliminates a return to Milwaukee, so where could the slugging shortstop end up playing in 2025 and beyond? Let’s take a look at his best suitors.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers make all the sense in the world as a landing spot for Adames. Of course, they’re always willing to spend up for the top free agents, and Adames would help plug a hole in their lineup.

While Mookie Betts is rumored to return to the infield in 2025, it’s likely the majority of his playing time will come at second base to lighten his workload. While they do have Gavin Lux and Tommy Edman as potential internal options to fill the shortstop position, it’s unlikely that they’re the Dodgers’ ideal long-term answer at the position.

Instead, who better to fill that roster need than arguably the top power-hitting shortstop in the game in Adames? His power stroke would fit right in with the other mashers in the heart of the Dodgers’ lineup, and he would make this juggernaut of an offense even better in 2025.

For Adames, he could join the reining World Series champions and have an opportunity to compete for a title year in and year out. It makes total sense for both parties, and Adames joining Los Angeles would make their already-scary offense that much more dangerous moving forward.

San Francisco Giants

If the San Francisco Giants want to emerge from their state of mediocrity, then adding a slugger like Adames into the fold would go a long way in returning to contention in 2025.

The Giants received some excellent production from rookie Tyler Fitzgerald at shortstop in 2024, as he slashed .280/.334/.497 for a 132 wRC+ and a 3.0 fWAR in 341 plate appearances. However, while obviously possible, there’s no guarantees Fitzgerald continues that level of production in 2025.

Moreover, he’s capable of playing at multiple positions, meaning if the Giants do bring in a full-time shortstop, they can still utilize Fitzgerald elsewhere.

San Francisco’s lineup has a lot of capable depth, but it could use the presence of another star, as well as an upgrade in power. Adames could provide both of those, and his power bat in the middle of their lineup could be enough to elevate a Giants’ offense that needs a sparkplug.

In an NL West division that features some of the best offenses in the National League with the Dodgers, Padres, and Diamondbacks, the Giants need to improve their offense in order to compete with those high-octane offensive units.

Adames would slide in as their top offensive weapon alongside Matt Chapman, and his addition could be a huge step forward for a team searching for improved results in 2025.

Atlanta Braves

Of the organizations mentioned on this list, no team needs to upgrade their sportstop position more than the Atlanta Braves.

Atlanta ranked 26th in MLB in OPS (.616), 27th in fWAR (0.6), and 28th in wRC+(71) from the shortstop position in 2024. Orlando Arcia made 156 starts at the position this past season, and his production was a far cry from the All-Star version of himself from 2023.

In 602 plate appearances this past season, Arcia slashed just .218/.271/.354 for a .625 OPS to go with a 72 wRC+ and an fWAR of only 0.8. That production isn’t going to cut it for a Braves offense that is supposed to lead them to a World Series title.

They can’t afford to gamble on seeing a bounce-back season from Arcia in 2025 when their window to compete is right now. Instead, they have an opportunity to bring in Adames, who can be an impact bat in the heart of their lineup and a long-term solution at a position of need.

Atlanta needs to get their offense back on track in 2025 if they wish to compete with the top teams in the National League. Adding Adames’ power to the middle of that order would go a long way in the offense returning to the level of production fans have been accustomed to seeing.

Philadelphia Phillies

Here is the point in the article where we shift to teams who could be looking for Adames to make a positional change in 2025. That is where the Philadelphia Phillies enter the conversation.

After coming up short in the postseason yet again in 2024, the Phillies are open to shaking up their roster in order to see better results in 2025. Adding Adames into the mix would not only allow them to get creative with their lineup, but they would also be improving their team in the process.

If the Phillies bring in Adames, there’s a myriad of possibilities for how Philadelphia can construct their lineup.

One potential option would be having Adames replace Alec Bohm at third base. While Bohm is coming off a solid offensive year, Adames would provide a much needed boost of power while still providing great defense.

Another possibility that our Leo Morgenstern broke down is having Adames take over at shortstop, move Trea Turner to second base, and have Bryson Stott shift to third base.

In this scenario, not only would the Phillies be getting the aforementioned power upgrade going from Bohm to Adames in the lineup, but they’d be improving defensively as a unit. Adames provides better defensive value at shortstop than Turner, and the Phillies’ overall infield defense would be better because of the move.

The Phillies’ window to compete is right now, and bringing in Adames would be a way for them to both change things up while also still improving their chances at competing for a World Series title.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are a fascinating landing spot for Adames. Obviously, the club has Bo Bichette occupying the shortstop position heading into 2025, so Adames would slide over to third base if they brought him in this offseason.

However, with Bichette coming off a dreadful 2024 campaign, there’s a chance the Blue Jays let him test the open market when he hits free agency following the 2025 season.

If Bichette stays in Toronto, then the Blue Jays have Adames as their long-term answer at the hot corner. However, if Bichette goes elsewhere, then adding Adames this offseason would not only make them better in 2024, but he could be the club’s contingency plan at shortstop moving forward.

It’s also no secret that the Blue Jays need to add power, and what better option to turn to than Adames.

Toronto ranked 26th in MLB last season in homers (156), 22nd in ISO (.148), and 20th in slugging percentage (.389). Adames would be a boost of top-end talent and would provide some pop for a lineup that was uninspiring for a majority of the 2024 season.

The AL East is going to have some high-powered offenses in 2025, and the Blue Jays will need to make some improvements to their lineup if they wish to compete for a spot in the postseason. If the Blue Jays are willing to pay the price for his services, Adames would be a great long-term fit for Toronto.

Potential Landing Spots, With Contingencies

New York Yankees

It’s no secret that the New York Yankees‘ clear top priority this offseason is retaining Juan Soto, and they likely won’t do anything major until he makes his decision on where to sign. However, if they lose out on Soto, then they need to have a fallback option or two in order to enhance their lineup for 2025.

That’s where Adames comes into play, and he’d be a great fit for this Yankees team. It’s already been established that Adames will bring power to any lineup that he joins, but for the Yankees specifically, the benefit that Adames brings to the field and on the base paths would be extremely valuable to improving this team’s outlook heading into 2025.

If the Yankees sign Adames, he’d most likely slide over to third base to play alongside Anthony Volpe at shortstop, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. would return to second base. That’s a significant boost to their infield, both offensively and defensively.

Whether or not the Yankees pursue Adames could hinge on Soto, but bringing in a dynamic player such as Adames would provide a boost in all facets of the game for the Yankees.

New York Mets

The New York Mets were one of the baseball’s best stories in 2024, but they will need to continue improving this offseason if they wish to get back to the postseason in 2025.

Obviously, as is the case with the Yankees, landing Juan Soto is far and away the top priority of the offseason. However, if the Mets don’t win the Soto sweepstakes, and they fail to retain slugging first baseman Pete Alonso, then Adames would be a terrific backup plan.

In that scenario, the Mets would be in dire need of bolstering their offense, and Adames would be the perfect solution to their problem. If Adames does land with the Mets, he’d take over at third base, forming one of the strongest left sides of the infield in Major League Baseball next to Francisco Lindor at shortstop.

Timing will be key for the Mets’ pursuit of Adames. If both Soto and Alonso sign elsewhere before Adames makes his decision, the Mets might have no choice but to throw everything they have at Adames in an attempt to improve their lineup. Still, he remains behind Soto and Alonso on the Mets’ offseason priority list.