The Atlanta Braves could be watching their biggest nightmare unfold right before their very eyes. The top free agent of the winter, New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto, has a projected top six suitors to sign with this offseason. Two of the four teams play in the National League East with the Braves.
If Soto lands with either the New York Mets or Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves won’t be able to afford to just stand pat with the roster they have. They’d need to make some big offseason moves to compete with Soto.
Christopher Kline of FanSided recently acknowledged this idea and put together a few “Emergency moves” for the Braves to make in this nightmare scenario. One of those moves was signing the star shortstop, Willy Adames away from the Milwaukee Brewers.
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“Not to state the obvious, but Willy Adames should be a top priority for the Braves. The were several positions of weakness for Atlanta last season, but at full strength, this team’s greatest bugaboo is shortstop,” Kline wrote. “Orlando Arcia just does not live up to the rest of Atlanta’s offensive personnel. Upgrading to an elite shortstop would leave very few noticeable holes in the Braves roster.”
The veteran shortstop should be one of the Braves’ top priorities whether Soto signs in the NL East or not. Signing Adames would give the Braves an All-MLB infield all the way around. He would add another middle-of-the-order bat to a lineup that’s already loaded with talent.
The 29-year-old shortstop is projected to land a six-year, $152 million contract, per Spotrac, though some projections have the total value nearing $200 million.
Adames is also a top target for the Mets this winter, so adding him would also be stealing him from the Mets.
More MLB: Mets Linked To $200 Million Infielder As ‘Perfect Transaction,’ Per Insider
