This continues a series breaking down possible Braves free agent targets by each position, moving onto shortstop. If you missed the first part to this series, follow the link below.
Potential Braves Free Agent Targets: Shortstop
- Willy Adames
- Ha-seong Kim (Option)
- Jose Iglesias
- Enrique Hernandez
- Miguel Rojas (Option)
- Paul DeJong
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This is exactly why it’s difficult to imagine the Braves upgrading from Orlando Arcia this offseason. Willy Adames is an All-Star caliber shortstop and would add a lot of juice to Atlanta’s lineup, but every club that has money and is not satisfied with their situation at shortstop will be vying for his services. He’s likely to garner somewhere in the $150-200 million range, just like Dansby Swanson did a couple of years ago. If the Braves weren’t willing to budge for a homegrown talent like Swanson, it’s unlikely they’ll change their tune for Willy Adames.
Out of the other options, Ha-seong Kim is about the only other one that is a clear upgrade over Orlando Arcia. He’s a do-it-all player that is fantastic defensively and slightly above average offensively. However, he’s coming off a torn labrum, which obviously complicates things and may feel it’s best to opt-into his $7 million option for the 2025 season.
Jose Iglesias has been a revelation in New York, hitting .337 and accruing 3.1 WAR in just 85 games. However, he’ll be 35-years-old next season and seems like a prime candidate for severe regression. Over his 12-year MLB career, Iglesias has a 91 OPS+ (9% below league average) and a .710 OPS. He also offers next to nothing in the power apartment, with his career-high in homers being 11 back in 2019 with the Reds, the only time he’s had double-digit homers in a season.
Just like Orlando Arcia, the rest of these free agent options are journeyman veterans that are best served as utility pieces rather than everyday players. I don’t see any clear upgrades on this list outside of Adames, so if the Braves are going to find a replacement, it will probably have to come via trade or internally if Nacho Alvarez can prove he’s major-league ready.
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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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