The Atlanta Braves' offseason focus is clear.
After Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider and Austin Riley all went down with season-ending injuries, the team will be dedicated to getting their best players healthy and prepared for an eighth-consecutive playoff run in 2025.
But the front office is likely to do some roster reshuffling as well, particularly with franchise staples like Max Fried and Charlie Morton heading to free agency and opening up some payroll.
The Braves might seek an infield addition to bolster their current stars, with Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller predicting that the team will upgrade from shortstop Orlando Arcia by signing free agent Willy Adames.
“Atlanta will very happily keep Arcia around as a versatile backup for two more years at a combined cost of $4M, but they’re going to be at the top of the list of teams bidding for Willy Adames’ services,” Miller projected. “The Dodgers also figure to be in the mix for Adames. Possibly the Blue Jays, too, if they’re preemptively preparing for Bo Bichette to walk a year from now. But we’ll take Atlanta for what will be one of the bigger non-Soto contracts in this year’s free agency cycle.”
As a 29-year-old who slashed .251/.331/.462 with 32 homers and 21 steals at a premier defensive position this season, Adames is in line for a long-term, nine-figure deal.
“He’s far better than anyone who was available in last winter’s group of shortstops,” Steve Adams and Anthony Franco noted for MLB Trade Rumors. “Adames should beat nine figures and has an argument for a six- or seven-year deal that puts him in the $150MM+ range.”
With Adames joining the batting order alongside Acuña, Riley, Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna, the Braves would enter 2025 with one of baseball’s most potent offenses. If their core can stay healthy, they should be able to make another deep run at the World Series.
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