Insider Links Red Sox To Projected $160 Million Brewers Superstar:'Good Bet'

Can the Red Sox lure this slugger out of Milwaukee?

March 25, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Team mascot Bernie Brewers Stans by as the Milwaukee Brewers unveil two new scoreboards Monday, March 25, 2024 at American Family Field Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brewers partnered with ANC, a digital signage and visual display company, to enhance existing digital and static stadium signage. The new 8mm LED digital display overlooking center field measures 12,077 square feet. It will be among the largest scoreboards in Major League Baseball, according to the / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA T

The time is nearing for the Boston Red Sox to start making some decisions.

It's easy to identify needs at this early stage of the offseason. The Red Sox need starting pitching, they need a right-handed power bat, and they need some help in the bullpen. But sometime soon, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow will need to start making some firm offers.

Deciding whether or not a superstar player is worth offering a hefty sum of money becomes difficult if the Red Sox are still under budgetary restrictions. If Boston has chips to move this winter, they could swoop in and nab a powerful righty infielder from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Longtime Brewers shortstop Willy Adames is now a free agent at age 29, coming off perhaps the best season of his career. Insider Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic named Adames as a fit when discussing possible Red Sox free-agent targets on Monday.

"Adames is coming off a season with career-highs in doubles (33) and homers (32). He also stole 21 bases, by far a career-high. Adames is an average defender and regressed this season at shortstop but still would seemingly help strengthen Boston’s infield defense by moving to second," McCaffrey said.

"Adames could... shift to shortstop after Trevor Story's deal is up at the end of 2027. Though Story played second when he first arrived in Boston, the team is committed to him as their shortstop for 2025... While not a perfect fit, would be a good bet to solidify the lineup and defense."

McCaffrey surprisingly listed Adames in the "complementary" tier of free agents, one notch below those she designated as "impact" signings. And Adames certainly doesn't come with a "complementary" price tag; McCaffrey cited projections that he would make between $150-160 million on his next deal.

Adames is a renowned clubhouse presence, the perfect guy to have around to help young players reach their full potential. But to justify paying over $150 million, the Red Sox would have to feel awfully confident Adames could continue to hit like an All-Star year after year.

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