The Milwaukee Brewers, unfortunately, will likely be bidding adieu to fan-favorite shortstop and clubhouse leader Willy Adames this offseason. As the slugger hits free agency, there is little hope that the Brewers will be able to afford him. In 2024, Adames hit .251/.332/.462 with 32 home runs, 112 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. He is now the best free agent shortstop on the market with a plethora of teams bidding for his services.
Adames recently turned down Milwaukee’s qualifying offer to him, which would have kept him in town for one more year and over $21 million. The good news for the Brewers is that, since they extended the offer, they will get a compensatory draft pick if and when he signs elsewhere.
But getting an extra draft pick does not fill the immediate need they will have once he is officially gone.
MLB Insider Mark Feinsand Suggests the Milwaukee Brewers Sign Yoan Moncada
Fortunately for Milwaukee, they already have a player on their Major League roster who is a shortstop by trade: Joey Ortiz. As fans may recall, Ortiz was acquired by the Brewers in the Corbin Burnes trade. After making the Opening Day roster, Ortiz played the majority of his season at third base. However, he is a natural shortstop.
With this in mind, MLB insider Mark Feinsand suggested that Milwaukee move Ortiz to shortstop and look to the free agent market for a third baseman, and his suggestion is Yoan Moncada, formerly of the Chicago White Sox:
“Assuming that Willy Adames departs as a free agent, Joey Ortiz is likely to move to shortstop, creating a vacancy at third base. The free-agent options beyond Alex Bregman are mostly underwhelming, but Moncada — who was limited by injuries to only 12 games in 2024 — has shown the ability to produce and could be a great buy-low candidate.”
As Feinsand notes, Moncada only played in 12 games in 2024, which will likely put his price right in the Brewers’ range.
Moncada was also limited to 92 games in 2023 and 104 in 2022.
In 2019, though, the former White Sox third baseman hit .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs and 79 RBI while finishing 21st in AL MVP voting.
To be honest, taking a flyer on a player who had one bright season followed by several years of battling injuries sounds so on brand for Milwaukee, that this suggestion makes more sense than Feinsand might realize.
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