This has been an offseason of overhaul for the Milwaukee Brewers. Longtime supervisor Craig Counsell left to affix the NL Central rival Chicago Cubs, rotation stalwart Brandon Woodruff was non-tendered following shoulder surgical procedure, and ace Corbin Burnes was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. The membership additionally introduced in Rhys Hoskins and Gary Sánchez, amongst others.

“I would not in any respect have a look at this as any sort of rebuild in any respect. That is one thing, the truth is, that we expect helps us proper now and helps us sooner or later,” GM Matt Arnold informed MLB.com following the Burnes commerce. “… I am definitely open to extra conversations. I definitely would not shut any conversations down at this level within the offseason.”

Even with spring coaching approaching, extra change could possibly be coming for the Brewers. Freddy Peralta and Devin Williams have seen their names pop up in commerce hypothesis these days, ditto shortstop Willy Adames. Williams is 2 years away from free company and Peralta three. Adames, like Burnes, will probably be a free agent after 2024, probably hastening his exit.

Nonetheless solely 28, Adames had a down season in 2023, slashing .217/.310/.407 with 24 dwelling runs whereas nonetheless enjoying glorious protection at quick. That comes after hitting .251/.319/.471 from 2020-22. Adames completed final season effectively (.852 OPS in September), and actually, he is had only one subpar half-season within the final 4 years. He is an excellent participant.

Much like Burnes, it appears unlikely the Brewers will re-sign Adames after the season as a result of they are not going to win a free agent bidding struggle to maintain him. Above-average soon-to-be 29-year-old shortstops usually get 9 figures in free company and that’s out of Milwaukee’s worth vary. That is simply the truth of the scenario.

It stands to purpose then the Brewers will a minimum of be open to buying and selling Adames, if not proper now then on the commerce deadline. They’d get a draft decide if he declines the qualifying provide and indicators elsewhere (the seemingly end result), although his commerce worth is way greater than a single draft decide. Listed below are three causes the Brewers may commerce Adames now quite than wait till the deadline.

1. The free agent market is skinny

There are nonetheless a number of huge title gamers sitting unsigned in free company, together with the reigning NL Cy Younger winner (Blake Snell), the reigning NL Comeback Participant of the 12 months (Cody Bellinger), a postseason hero (Jordan Montgomery), and a four-time Gold Glover (Matt Chapman). None of them play shortstop, nonetheless. The present crop of free-agent shortstops may be very skinny.

Listed below are the very best accessible free agent shortstops by projected 2024 WAR (per FanGraphs):

1. Amed Rosario: 1.7 WAR (shifted to second base after being traded to the Dodgers)
2. Tim Anderson: 1.5 WAR (arguably the worst on a regular basis hitter in baseball final 12 months)
3. Gio Urshela: 1.0 WAR (coming off a damaged pelvis, additionally not a full-time shortstop)
4. Brandon Crawford: 0.7 WAR (coming off the worst season of his profession)
5. Elvis Andrus: 0.6 WAR

Anderson is fascinating as a bounce-back candidate, although that is a reasonably underwhelming group of free-agent shortstops. In the event you’re nonetheless on the lookout for somebody to play the place on a regular basis, the pickings are very slim. The shortage of high quality free-agent shortstops means it is a vendor’s market in case you have a top quality shortstop to commerce, and the Brewers do in Adames. 

2. A number of contenders want a shortstop

This goes hand in hand with the final part. There are quite a lot of golf equipment with designs on postseason rivalry that would not have a steady shortstop heading into 2024. Contemplate these shortstop conditions:

Adames will earn $12.25 million in 2024 and that is perhaps too wealthy for the Guardians and Marlins. The Braves could also be snug with Arcia too, although they’re all-in proper now, so it would not damage to test in. The Giants? They’re an apparent potential commerce companion for Adames. He’d enhance their shortstop scenario considerably and permit Luciano to get extra minor-league seasoning.

Though he is by no means performed a place aside from shortstop in MLB, there’s a probability groups may have curiosity in Adames at different positions. The Blue Jays, Mariners, Mets, and Yankees may use a 3rd base improve, for instance. Level is, circumstances are ripe for the Brewers to get a haul for Adames. A number of contenders want a shortstop and free company provides few options.

3. The Brewers have his substitute ready

Milwaukee landed shortstop Joey Ortiz within the Burnes commerce and he is thought to be a standout defender whose bat started to catch as much as the glove final season, when he slashed .321/.378/.507 in 88 Triple-A video games. Ortiz is already 25, so it is time to get his MLB profession going, and the Brewers at present have him penciled in at third base. His bat is perhaps mild for the place.

Along with presumably touchdown a pleasant commerce package deal for Adames, the Brewers would additionally unlock shortstop for Ortiz and permit him to play his greatest and most pure place in his first full MLB season. Andruw Monasterio would then should step in at third base, although clearing Adames’ wage would permit the Brewers to signal somebody like, say, Urshela, to solidify the new nook.

All indications are Ortiz is Milwaukee’s shortstop of the long run. Buying and selling Adames would clear the way in which for Ortiz to be the shortstop of the current, to not point out releasing up money and in addition including extra younger items to the group. The Brewers can extra simply capitalize available on the market and commerce Adames now realizing they have already got his substitute in-house.

The Brewers gained the NL Central final 12 months and twice within the final three years, and protecting Adames and attempting to make one other run in 2024 is greater than cheap. The division is just not precisely stacked with powerhouses, in any case. And protecting a rental place participant till the deadline is extra wise than protecting a rental pitcher like Burnes as a result of there’s much less inherent damage danger.

That stated, there would clearly be a commerce marketplace for Adames, and the Brewers ought to a minimum of discover it and see what provides come there manner. It by no means hurts to hear. The free-agent shortstop market is weak, a number of contenders need assistance on the place, and Ortiz is able to step in at quick. Adames might by no means have extra commerce worth than he does proper now.