The Milwaukee Brewers startled baseball fans by moving ace Corbin Burnes on the eve of spring training. Could shortstop Willy Adames be the next Milwaukee player to leave?
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the team may have acquired Joey Ortiz from the Baltimore Orioles as of February 4. He also said the Brewers have informed clubs that Adames is available for trade. However, Nightengale said that Milwaukee might wait until the trade deadline to make a deal or simply let the 28-year-old walk for free agency after the season.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report proposed a hypothetical deal that would send Adames to the San Francisco Giants. Here are the details:
Giants receive: shortstop. Willy Adame
The Brewers have acquired infielder Casey Schmitt, catcher Joey Bart, and left-handed pitcher Erik Miller. All three have played in the major leagues. According to MLB.com, after 2022, Bart (no. 2) and Schmitt (no. 14) were considered top Giants prospects. They also ranked Miller as San Francisco’s 29th-best prospect after 2023.
Adames Would Give Giants Something They Desperately Need
Acquiring Adames as their starting shortstop would provide the Giants with something they currently lack: genuine power.
Since 2019, the right-handed hitter has hit 20 or more home runs four seasons. In 2022, the Brewers will have 31 home runs, 98 RBI, and an OPS of.756. Adames’ OPS dipped to.717 in 638 bat appearances in 2023, but his power remained solid. He concluded the season with 24 homers, 29 doubles, 80 RBI, and 73 runs scored.
The Giants’ current power rankings are not particularly encouraging. Wilmer Flores led the team in 2023 with 23 home runs. However, according to current ZiPS predictions, infielder David Villar is expected to lead San Francisco’s 2024 squad in home runs with 18. The Giants are the only Major League Baseball team without a player projected to smash 20 or more home runs this season, according to ZiPS.
Of course, adding third baseman Matt Chapman and/or outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler would alter these forecasts. However, neither of those things has happened yet, and Adames would provide much-needed power to manager Bob Melvin’s squad.
Could San Francisco Remake the Left Side of Their Infield?
According to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource, Marco Luciano is San Francisco’s starting shortstop, with J.D. Davis at third base. While it is unclear how serious the Giants are about Adames, their pursuit of Chapman to play the hot corner is well known.
On February 8, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Chapman and the Giants remain in communication. He also mentioned that Melvin, who managed the third baseman in Oakland, would love to reunite with him. However, it is unclear how far along the conversations are.
The Giants’ offseason hasn’t gone as planned, but they have made some roster upgrades. Instead of signing Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they signed outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and pitcher Jordan Hicks. They’ve also done some trading. Despite these adjustments, being in the same division as the Los Angeles Dodgers complicates matters, as standings projections reveal.
So, getting Chapman and Soler, as well as dealing for Adames, would go a long way toward boosting the Giants’ offense as they strive for postseason success. However, it is unclear how many of these moves will be implemented.
