Willy Adames could solve multiple Red Sox problems in free agency

Willy Adames could solve multiple Red Sox problems in free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Red Sox keep sending signals that they’re ready to spend after years of neglecting the big-league roster, though they’ll have to land someone of substance before we believe them. But for now let’s play along and examine one name that keeps popping up as a potential fit: Willy Adames.

The slugging shortstop transformed his career with the Brewers after being stolen from the Rays for a pair of middle relievers in 2021. He didn’t just solidify one of the game’s most demanding positions while hitting for power, he also became a leading voice in Milwaukee’s clubhouse, guiding the overachieving Brewers to two NL Central titles and three playoff berths in four years.

Despite operating with a mid-market payroll, the Brewers won at least 86 games in all four of Adames’ seasons in Milwaukee, topping 90 three times and reaching 95 once. They never won a playoff series, although they came agonizingly close this month before Pete Alonso and the Mets broke their hearts in Game 3 of the Wild Card round.

Still, that failure hardly detracts from the impact Adames made on the field and in the clubhouse. At age 29, he’ll be one of the most attractive free agents on the market, with a contract potentially eclipsing $150 million.

“From the day he got here, he brought — I talked about energy,” Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told reporters before Game 1 of the NLDS. “He brought an infectious energy. Teammate first and leading by example, he wanted to play 162 games this year. It got to the point when we clinched that he really needed a day off, probably for a month. So he took one day off. That sends a great example to all these young players.

“He’s one of the greatest shortstops, he and Robin Yount, in our history, and he’ll always be part of us,” Attanasio added. “The challenge, the great news for Willy and his family, is I think the free agent contract’s going to be very valuable for him and quite high, and we’ll do what we can do to stretch, but others have bigger pocketbooks. We’ll see what happens.”

The Red Sox should be one of those teams, since they have around $65 million to spend before hitting the first luxury tax threshold. But seeing how last year’s “full throttle” offseason ended up adrift with the engines cut, healthy skepticism is warranted until proven otherwise.

But Adames would fill multiple needs. For one, he’s right-handed, which would help balance the overly left-handed lineup. For another, he brings real power. He just set career highs in homers (32) and RBIs (112), while tying Ken Griffey Jr.’s record for most three-run homers in a season (13).

He may not hit for average (.248 lifetime), but Red Sox fans of a certain age will recognize the player he has mostly closely tracked statistically since joining the Brewers: former All-Star shortstop Rico Petrocelli.

With the Red Sox desperate for veteran leadership to guide the next generation, Adames would be a natural fit. He helped super prospect Jackson Chourio transition to the big leagues, where he already looks like a future force. Adames is a two-time winner of MLB’s Heart and Hustle Award, and the Brewers voted him their MVP in 2021 even though he only appeared in 99 games after arriving from the Rays.

He also just delivered under circumstances that might’ve been trying for another player. His name was part of trade rumors all winter, but the Brewers ultimately shipped ace Corbin Burnes to the Orioles instead and Adames produced despite his uncertain future.

“A lot of guys in their contract year, their last year before free agency, will try to do too much or not be a great teammate or worry about themselves,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

“Willy’s done a great job of being a leader and a teammate. He’s led people all around him. He’s a special guy. He’s taken on Chourio and even (William) Contreras to some extent, and helped them along with their adjustment to a new team. I can’t say enough about what Willy means to our club.”

The question is where he’d play in Boston. With incumbent shortstop Trevor Story signed through 2027, either Story or Adames would have to move to second base. Both are plus defenders — Adames’ range and arm consistently rank among the best in the league — but only Story has any real experience at second, which he played alongside Xander Bogaerts in 2022.

Outside of 10 games at second during his rookie year in Tampa, Adames has exclusively played shortstop. Either way, putting the two of them in the middle of Boston’s infield would immediately upgrade the team’s porous defense on groundballs, at least if Story can stay healthy.

The case against Adames is that the Red Sox already boast a similar player in Story and that he’d potentially block the arrival of prospects like Marcelo Mayer or Kristian Campbell. Those are tomorrow problems, however. Of more immediate concern would be the other organizations currently in need of a shortstop, including the Dodgers, Giants, and Braves, any of whom could outbid the Red Sox. Los Angeles and Atlanta also offer instant opportunities to win a World Series.

Adames might not carry the name recognition of Juan Soto or even Burnes, his old teammate, but he’s the best shortstop on the market and a player who can help an organization in ways that extend off the field. Signing him to a long-term deal would indeed signal that the Red Sox are back in business.