Red Sox Are Ideal Fit For Projected $200 Million Shortstop Named No. 4 Free Agent

At some point, the Sox have to make a splash...

Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

By now, the Boston Red Sox's over-reliance on left-handed hitting is well documented.

A vast majority of the productive hitters in the Boston lineup are lefty, and so are most of the top-hitting prospects. The most impactful righty, Tyler O'Neil,l is set to become a free agent, and according to comments from president Craig Breslow, it doesn't sound like he's coming back.

O'Neill has 31 home runs this season, and it's hard to let a bat like that, one that fits the Red Sox's exact needs, walk out the door. That is, unless there's a better fit to be had on the free-agent market.

The Milwaukee Brewers' Willy Adames is the one righty that stands out as an upgrade for the Red Sox's current roster over O'Neill. Adames, 29, was ranked the number-four free agent in the upcoming class by Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter on Friday.

"For teams looking to upgrade at shortstop, Willy Adames is the clear top-tier option on the market this winter," Reuter said. "Adames has slugged a career-high 32 home runs this season, and his 112 long balls since the start of the 2021 season are tied with Corey Seager for the most among all shortstops."

Adames may not quite match O'Neill's OPS (.795 to O'Neill's .868), but he more than makes up for it with his defense and hitting with runners in scoring position. He also hasn't missed a single game due to injury this season, which has been an issue for O'Neill his whole career.

The only other major concern for the Red Sox lineup next season is the middle infield. Shortstop Trevor Story hasn't been healthy for three years, and the second base spot is a giant question mark.

Adames could either shift Story to second base to start the season or take over second base himself while Vaughn Grissom and Kristian Campbell compete to see who is more big-league-ready. Boston could even experiment with moving him to third base to give Rafael Devers more designated hitter days.

In short, Adames is everything the Red Sox could want. But, of course, they would have to pay him. Contract estimates have ranged anywhere from low nine figures all the way up to $200 million.

That's an ownership question, not a front-office question. If Fenway Sports Group gives the green light to a high-priced Adames contract, he should be wearing a Sox cap on Opening Day in Boston next season.

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