The best available free agent shortstop is but he could also expand his market by playing elsewhere. Per , Adames wants to stay at short but would be willing to move to other positions for the right offer from a competitive club. On the Baseball Tonight podcast, Jorge Castillo of ESPN says the Mets have considered signing Adames and moving him to third while others have also considered second base (39:05 mark of this link at link). Adames probably doesnt need to make the shift based on his abilities, though he is coming off a bit of a down year in terms of his glovework. He was credited with 10 fielding errors in 2024, more than the seven he had in the previous two seasons combined. Defensive Runs Saved gave him a dismal grade of -16 for the year while Outs Above Average merely had him at par. However, DRS gave him a positive grade in each of the previous five seasons while Adames had a big +16 grade from OAA in 2023 and +10 the year prior. Clubs could view that more as an outlier season, as opposed to Adames suddenly falling off a cliff defensively at the age of 28. Still, theres logic to him being open to a position change. Any free agent is helped by having more suitors, as a more fervent bidding war can drive up prices, as opposed to a stagnant market that sees the player linger in free agency. Adames has no third base experience in the big leagues and only a small amount at second, but most shortstops are able to pivot elsewhere on the diamond without much i sue. He has a .248/.322/.444 career batting line and hit .251/.331/.462 for a 119 wRC+ in 2024, offense that would play at any position. There are plenty of clubs that already have shortstops but could perhaps use help at second Griffin Jax Jersey or third, with the Mets being one of them. They have one of the best shortstops in the league in , who is under contract through 2031 and just wrapped up a strong season that might see him finish second to in National League Most Valuable Player voting. But second and third base are a bit more open. is arguably the best option for the keystone but his performance has wobbled in recent years and hes also capable of playing other spots. At third, just had a breakout season at the plate but with poor defense and its been suggested the club could look to move him to first base as a replacement for free agent . The Mets could take that approach with an existing third baseman like , as he is a better hitter than Adames and already established at the position. But Adames is a couple of years younger and could secure a le ser contract just based on his track record. MLBTR recently projected Bregman for $182MM over seven years and Adames for $160MM over six seasons in our annual post. For Adames, having a club like the Mets at the table can only help. They are one of the top spending clubs in the league but there would be no point in them getting involved if Adames was firmly committed to staying at short, so its sensible for him to expre s openne s to moving. Clubs like the Yankees, Mariners, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Royals could also be cla sified as having greater needs at infield positions other than shortstop, so getting them to the table as well could further expand his market. One of the more straightforward fits would be the Giants, with president of baseball operations yesterday that the club is on the lookout for shortstops. However, Adames has received a qualifying offer from the Brewers that hes sure to reject, thus tying him to the . suggests that Posey might try to avoid signing players that rejected qualifying offers so early in his tenure. The Giants just had a hamstrung draft a few months ago, as they gave up their second- and third-round picks to sign and last offseason, both of whom had rejected qualifying offers. The Giants went on to pay the competitive balance tax in 2024, meaning that signing any QOd players this time around would result in forfeiting their second- and fifth-best picks of the upcoming draft as well as $1MM of international bonus space. The Giants are one of the most sensible on-paper fits for Adames as a club with a strong record of spending and a clear need at shortstop. If they were to pivot to the trade market or signing a player without a qualifying offer like , that would only further the importance of Adames staying open to other positions. As for a return to Milwaukee, that never seemed especially likely since the Brewers almost never give out ma sive contracts like the one Adames will surely require. Looking at shows that the extension is the only time the club has surpa sed $105MM on any deal. As if precedent wasnt enough, owner Mark Attanasio recently. Hes going to get an enormous free-agent contract and Im very happy for him and his family, and well give it our best shot, Attanasio said of Adames. But theres a lot deeper pockets out there. Thats just the reality. Adames recently reflected on those comments, per another column from . He seemingly left the door open for a hometown discount, though perhaps only slightly. Im willing to stay here for le s money, lets say, but I just want to be fair for what I deserve in my career and whatever Ive done, Adames said. We just have to wait and see where were at. You never know whats going to happen and you never know who is going to be willing to make that commitment with me for a long time. David Ortiz Jersey