The New York Yankees are waiting to know whether or not superstar Juan Soto will join them for the next 12-15 years. In the meantime, reports indicate that the Bombers knocked on some doors and made some inquiries about other free agents.
One of them was Willy Adames, who was a key fallback option should the Yankees fail to sign Soto. The former Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers shortstop signed a mammoth deal with the San Francisco Giants.
“The San Francisco Giants and Willy Adames are in agreement on a 7-year contract, per multiple reports,” MLB on FOX wrote on X, reporting that the agreement was worth a total of $182 million.
There was talk about the Yankees being interested in Adames to play third base, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. sliding over to second to give the team a solution there.
The player was allegedly open to the possibility of switching positions if it meant landing on a true contender. Instead, he gets to stay at shortstop and will be part of a renewed Giants roster that will try to join the competition between the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padre,s and potentially the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.
The Yankees had their eye on Adames
Besides the Yankees, Adames was also being courted by other contenders around the league, hence his large contract.
Adames being off the board means the Yankees now don’t have him as a Plan B approach should Soto end up elsewhere.
He is a solid defensive shortstop who also happens to boast rare power for the position. He bopped 32 home runs with 112 RBI last year as a Brewer, including a .793 OPS.
He just signed the biggest deal in Giants history, a huge compliment and proof of his abilities. The Yankees are now forced to look at other possibilities to get another star-level player in the off-season.