A busy offseason lies ahead for the Boston Red Sox. At least, it should be busy if they hope to have any shot at contending in 2025.
While the organization's top prospects could help out next season, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. should still aggressively pursue proven talent to upgrade the pitching staff and the left-handed-heavy lineup. Some of those moves could come via trade, but there are several intriguing names on the free-agent market.
Two standout players who have already been connected to the Red Sox are Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman and Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames. In a recent column, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic pondered the idea of Boston signing Bregman or Adames, moving slugging third baseman Rafael Devers to first base, and trading young first baseman Triston Casas for starting pitching.
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On Tuesday, a nugget from a piece written by Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com fueled additional Adames-to-Boston speculation.
"While the idea of moving Casas is tantalizing for some, the Red Sox still think he’s an elite player and the ripple effects may be too much for a bold move," Cotillo wrote. "With that said, there are some in the organization who value Adames highly and would love to see him in Boston."
Adames is coming off a tremendous season with the Milwaukee Brewers, but does he make sense as a free-agent target for the Red Sox this winter? Let's weigh the pros and cons of signing him. . .
Why the Red Sox should sign Willy Adames
Right-handed power
Besides bolstering the pitching staff, the Red Sox should prioritize balancing their left-handed-heavy lineup. Trevor Story, Connor Wong, Vaughn Grissom, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Rob Refsnyder are the only right-handed hitters projected to be on next year's roster. Top prospects Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kyle Teel each hit left-handed.
Adames will be among the top right-handed hitters in the 2025 free-agent class. The 29-year-old set career-highs in hits (153), home runs (32), and RBI (112) this year with Milwaukee. His swing is tailor-made for Fenway Park.
Willy Adames is on fire!
— MLB (@MLB) September 1, 2024
He has now homered in 3 straight games 🚀 pic.twitter.com/XdIvJAz6M1
Exceptional defense
Adames has developed into one of the best defensive shortstops in the game. In 2023, he ranked second among all players at his position in outs above average (16) and sixth in defensive runs saved (8). This year was a down defensive season for him from an advanced metrics standpoint, but he still brings plenty of value with the glove in addition to his right-handed pop.
Willy Adames with ease 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/7Szto7sq6d
— MLB (@MLB) September 22, 2024
More action on the basepaths
Adames has average speed but he still found a way to notch a career-high 21 stolen bases in 2024. The Red Sox were at their best this season when they wreaked havoc on the basepaths with Jarren Duran, David Hamilton, and Ceddanne Rafaela swiping bags at a high rate. Adames joining the fun while belting 25+ homers would be a major difference-maker for Boston's offense.
Why the Red Sox shouldn't sign Willy Adames
Another infielder?
The biggest issue when making sense of a potential Adames deal is finding a place for him on the Red Sox roster. Say what you will about Trevor Story's health and his ability at this stage of his career, but he is virtually set in stone as the team's starting shortstop in 2025. Perhaps Adames can play second base, where he has played 10 big-league games in seven years, but then the team would have to figure out what to do with youngsters Vaughn Grissom and Kristian Campbell. He could take third base if Devers moves to first or full-time DH, but he has never played at the hot corner in his professional career.
The Red Sox have a surplus of talented infielders, so barring a blockbuster trade or two, Adames is an imperfect fit for the roster.
Struggles vs. southpaws
Sure, Adames technically would help balance out Boston's lineup as a right-handed hitter, but he doesn't actually solve the club's issues with hitting left-handed pitching.
Adames hit only four of his 32 homers this year off southpaws. He hit just .191 with a woeful .623 OPS in his 152 at-bats against lefties.
If the Red Sox want to have more success against left-handers next season, signing someone like Teoscar Hernandez (.931 OPS vs. lefties in 2024), Marcell Ozuna (.904) or any other right-handed hitter with favorable splits would make more sense.
Hefty price tag
Adames is projected to receive a contract worth around $200 million this offseason. With the Brewers likely to extend him a qualifying offer, whichever team signs him would also have to cough up a compensatory draft pick.
While the Red Sox shouldn't shy away from spending this offseason, this seems like an excessive price to pay for a player who doesn't address any direct needs on the roster. That money could instead be used to overhaul the bullpen - arguably Boston's biggest weakness in 2024 - or improve the starting pitching staff.
Verdict
Would the Red Sox be better with Adames on the roster? Absolutely. Should they break the bank to sign him? It's hard to justify it given the current surplus of infield talent, plus the state of the bullpen and the starting rotation. Adames checks one box as a right-handed slugger but he still wouldn't solve the offense's primary issue of hitting left-handed pitching.
Barring a trade or two to clear up roster spots, Adames simply doesn't fit. The Red Sox should look elsewhere to spend big money this offseason.