The Los Angeles Dodgers could position themselves to be the benefactors of the Milwaukee Brewers’ tight financial situation and the star infielder that may be a resulting casualty of their payroll constraints.
Dodgers could make upcoming free agent SS Willy Adames a sizable offer
Brewers shortstop Willy Adames will be a free agent in the offseason and, per Aaliyan Mohammed of The Sporting News, is projected to garner a six-year deal valued at $152 million. Milwaukee may not have the ability to re-up him on those terms, which would see the Dominican shortstop depart for greener pastures.
Dodgers stadium could be those greener pastures for Adames to plant his cleats on. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller concocted a scenario that would bring Adames to town in place of current star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez on their books, saying this (h/t Mohammed):
“The Dodgers will likely try to re-up with Teoscar Hernández—unless it’s a ‘we can afford one or the other’ situation between him and Brewers SS Willy Adames, and they prioritize their middle infield in that regard,” wrote Miller.
Adames would be a great slugger for the Dodgers in place of Teoscar Hernandez
Adames is a good defender who generated 204 putouts and 323 assists to 20 errors at shortstop in 2024. He also excelled at the plate, having delivered 112 RBIs and 21 stolen bases alongside 32 home runs with a sound .251/.331/.462 slash line.
He’d be a great replacement for Hernandez and the 33 home runs, 99 RBIs, and 12 SB he produced for the Dodgers in the regular season. He’d also approximate Hernandez’s efficient .272/.339/.501 slash line.
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Would signing Adames make more sense for the Dodgers than keeping Hernandez?
Though he’d cost Los Angeles roughly $2 million more on an annual basis and stay on the Dodgers’ books for three more years than Hernandez would on a projected three-year, $71 million contract, Adames would be a strong shortstop for the Dodgers to bring on board to support their batting order with his superb ability to drive in runs.
Hernandez has been a pillar in the Dodgers’ batting order all season long, and has carried that over into the 2024 playoffs, where he’s produced five hits, six RBIs, and one home run across four NLDS contests against the San Diego Padres. However, should L.A. feel as though the roughly $24 million they’d spend on either talent would be better allocated toward fortifying their infield, then Adames could find himself donning Dodger Blue next season and Hernandez could wind up elsewhere.
There wouldn’t be much loss from a productivity or financial standpoint with a series of transactions to this effect, but how the Dodgers finish in this year’s postseason will largely determine what course of action they take in the winter and onward.
