Willy Adames could switch positions with his future team
In 2024, Adames’ age 28 season, he hit 32 home runs with 112 RBI — both career highs. Additionally, he hit fewer ground balls than any point in his career while improving his fly ball and hard hit rates. Adames was also one of the most reliable players in the league, appearing in 161 games for the Brewers in 2024 and 149 in 2023.
Morosi appeared on MLB Network on Tuesday where he expanded on Adames’ fit with both clubs.
.@jonmorosi connects free agent infielder Willy Adames to the Yankees, Astros and Red Sox.#MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/6ealIDq0W0
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 3, 2024
“The Yankees being a fit for Willy Adames, I am really intrigued by this idea because would you play Adames at short, potentially move [Anthony] Volpe to second, or vice versa?” he asked. “Of course we know Gleyber Torres is a free agent so the Yankees have a spot on their infield that they want to find a new player to come in. Of course they also have Jazz Chisholm, where might Jazz play?”
Adames has almost exclusively played shortstop in his MLB career outside of 10 games at second for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. He played all but 21 of his Minor League games at short as well.
The Astros could play Willy Adames at third base
With Jeremy Pena holding down shortstop in Houston and Alex Bregman a free agent, Morosi finds it more likely Adames switches positions if he lands with the Astros.
The Astros endured a down year by their standards in 2024, falling to the Detroit Tigers in two games in the Wild Card round. With their seven-year ALCS streak a thing of the past, Houston will look to start a new one, and making a splash like this in free agency would be a good first step.
Houston could stand to add some pop to its lineup; only Bregman and Yordan Alvarez hit more than 23 home runs in 2024, and with Bregman maybe on his way out, there would be some urgency around adding another good bat. Adames’ .794 OPS in 2024 would have ranked third in the Astros’ lineup and made him their infielder with the most threatening bat.
