The Los Angeles Dodgers have long been linked to Milwaukee Brewers star shortstop Willy Adames. There have even been some rumors during the 2024 season suggesting that the two sides could negotiate a trade to send Adames to Los Angeles.
Ultimately, the Brewers kept him and he’s now a free agent, meaning the Dodgers can take a shot at him.
But Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic doesn’t think the fit is as perfect as it seems. In fact, Rosenthal mentioned moving Mookie Betts, who is already returning to the infield, to shortstop and ended this day.
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“Friedman has long admired Adames, whom he acquired for the (Tampa Bay) Rays at the 2014 trade deadline as part of a package for David Price,” Rosenthal wrote. “But Friedman rarely pays top dollar for elite talent, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto being a notable exception last offseason, in part because he was 25. Let’s not forget that the contracts of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman all include significant carryovers.”
Maybe Rosenthal is right. The Dodgers are rumored to be among some of the biggest free agents of the offseason, but maybe Adames isn’t one of them. Returning bets to shortstop works perfectly. It would also save a lot of money to spend elsewhere.
The Dodgers could use the money saved on Adames to draft another ace, say Corbin Burnes or Blake Snell, to partner alongside Shohei Ohtani at the top of their rotation.
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