The free agency market should start to heat up by the middle of December, with Jeff Passan of ESPN reporting that Juan Soto’s decision will, “at the latest,” be by the start of the Winter Meetings on December 9. Once Soto signs, others, including players like Willy Adames, are expected to follow.
Adames is a hot name on the market, and the New York Yankees have reported interest in him. The Yankees aren’t the only team looking to sign the right-handed hitting shortstop, as the Boston Red Sox are also viewed as a potential landing spot.
Andrew Tredinnick of NothJersey.com predicted Adames would sign with the Yankees rival, a move that could come because Tredinnick has New York re-signing Soto.
“For all the talk of playing out of position, Adames finds his home at shortstop in Fenway Park,” Tredinnick wrote on December 4.
Yankees Reported Interest in Adames
The New York Yankees losing Soto would be a tough outcome, but signing Adames and others could compensate for it.
There’s always a chance the Yankees could sign Soto and Adames, but as of now, the shortstop is viewed as a “backup option,” according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
“Sources told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that the Yankees view Adames as one of their top backup options in case they are unable to sign Juan Soto.
“The Yankees have Anthony Volpe already at shortstop, and he has proven to be a stellar defender. However, it’s possible New York could shift Volpe over to second base to open up a spot for Adames, who could also play third base given Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s ability to play in both the infield and the outfield. A source told Feinsand that Adames’ preference is to remain at short, but he’s open to moving positions for the right situation and the right deal,” Feinsand wrote on December 4.
Signing Adames could give the Yankees flexibility in the infield. While moving Anthony Volpe to second base is a possibility, they could also move Adame to third and slide Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second. Nonetheless, the Yankees would have endless opportunities with him on the roster.
Adames Also Could Be Plan B for Red Sox
With a handful of teams remaining in the Soto sweepstakes, most are expected to search for other players if they don’t land him.
With Soto’s price now at $600 million, according to reports, teams would have money to spend on others.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the New York Yankees aren’t the only team that could view Adames as Plan B. Rosenthal wrote that the Boston Red Sox could turn their attention to him, with Rafael Devers potentially sliding over to first base.
“At least two of the teams in the Soto sweepstakes, the Yankees and Red Sox, could turn their attention to free-agent infielders as part of a Plan B. As with the outfield market, the demand exceeds the supply, putting shortstop Willy Adames and third baseman Alex Bregman in excellent position.
“Either Adames (No. 6 on The Athletic’s Big Board) or Bregman (No. 7), could be of interest to the Red Sox if they are serious about moving Rafael Devers from third base to first,” Rosenthal wrote on December 2.
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Yankees Predicted to Lose Free Agent Target to Red Sox