As the Braves enter the offseason, they face a couple of clear needs. One, however, stands out as particularly urgent: finding a reliable solution at shortstop. Fortunately, there’s an obvious candidate for the role—Willy Adames.
Orlando Arcia, once regarded as one of the best bargains in baseball, has fallen out of favor with the Atlanta faithful since the second half of the 2023 season. Despite earning his first All-Star nod in the first half of that campaign, Arcia’s performance down the stretch was disappointing. His struggles were especially glaring during the postseason series against the Phillies, punctuated by Bryce Harper’s now-infamous stare-down while rounding second base.
Unfortunately, 2024 didn’t bring much improvement for Arcia. While he managed to match a career-high in home runs, his overall production barely exceeded replacement level. Even his defense, a bright spot in his game, showed signs of decline. Simply put, there wasn’t much for fans to celebrate about Arcia’s season.
With shortstop still a question mark, the Braves will undoubtedly look for a long-term solution this offseason. Enter Willy Adames, widely regarded as the top free agent in a lackluster class.
The Brewers shortstop is drawing “very broad” interest in free agency, with MLB Network’s Jon Morosi listing the Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, and Red Sox as clubs targeting Adames. The Dodgers, Giants, and Yankees are also mentioned, considering their infield needs.
With Adames willing to move off shortstop, it makes the market for him that much more competitive. He’s likely to command a contract that is more than twice what Alex Anthopoulos has ever handed out to a free agent, a mark held by Marcell Ozuna’s $65 million deal.
MLB Trade Rumors predicted a six-year, $160MM contract for Adames, but there’s no reason to believe a bidding war couldn’t get that figure closer to $200 million. It’s a price tag that I find the Braves very unlikely to satisfy.
Atlanta fans might want to swallow the difficult pill that Orlando Arcia will be the Opening Day shortstop in 2025.
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