Dodgers News: Free Agent Shortstop Target Could Fetch $200 Million, Per Report

J.P. Hoornstra | Sep 19, 2024

Texas Rangers outfielder Derek Hill (40) beats a tag by Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames (27) to steal second base during the sixth inning of their game Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Regardless of how the Dodgers finish 2024, they will enter the 2025 season with more questions than answers at shortstop.

Is the Mookie Betts experiment worth another shot? What about Gavin Lux? Did Miguel Rojas' bounceback season earn him the right to begin next season as the primary starter, even at age 36?

Or, should the Dodgers seek help from outside the organization?

The Dodgers have long been rumored to be interested in Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames. Milwaukee's interest in trading Adames in his final year before reaching free agent eligibility was not mutual. The Brewers held onto him, and Wednesday became the first team to clinch a postseason berth.

The 29-year-old has been integral to the Brewers' success. He is hitting .248 with a .329 on-base percentage and a .466 slugging percentage, with 32 home runs and 109 RBIs in 152 games.

No National League player has appeared in more games this season — a valuable attribute to a Dodgers team that has been ravaged by injuries this season. There's no guarantee Adames' good health will continue, of course, but it's a nice selling point for his agents at CAA.

Adames won't come cheap this winter. Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post ranked Adames on his short list of the top free agents hitting the market this offseason and put a hefty price tag on his services.

"His huge platform year sets him up for monster deal. A club-record 32 home runs for a shortstop plus 109 RBIs (one less than NL leader Ohtani) could translate to $200M-plus."

- Jon Heyman, via the New York Post

The Dodgers' interest in such an investment could be limited. Left fielder Teoscar Hernández is about to hit free agency himself, and they might not prefer to envision a future without his bat in the middle of the lineup. In 145 games this season, Hernández has 29 home runs, 90 RBIs and a .267 batting average.

Hernandez, unlike Adames, was named to the National League All-Star team in July.

The Dodgers might not want to pay a premium for a position where their incumbent is performing well. Rojas is hitting .296 this season with only 31 strikeouts in 319 plate appearances. His defense has been excellent — a source of stability neither Betts nor Lux could provide. The Dodgers hold a team option for Rojas next year.

But Adames' bat could tempt the Dodgers to enter the bidding. If so, it will be interesting to see how far they're willing to extend their budget after committing more than $1.2 billion in future salaries to free agents last winter.