Willy Adames has lengthy been talked about in commerce rumors, with the Dodgers one membership identified to have had previous curiosity within the star shortstop. It’s honest to guess that any variety of groups at the very least checked in with the Brewers about Adames’ availability, and the New York Put up’s Jon Heyman (by way of X) writes that the Braves and Giants additionally had Adames as a “goal” prior to now. As Adames is now set to change into a free agent this winter, any of those groups might effectively be suitors once more on the open market, although naturally a free agent pursuit and a commerce pursuit might be very totally different endeavors.
Atlanta shortstop Orlando Arcia had a dismal 12 months on the plate after posting stable numbers in 2022-23. Arcia continues to be underneath contract for 2025 however just for $2MM (and a $1MM buyout of a $2MM membership choice for 2026), so the Braves might signal Adames and nonetheless preserve Arcia round as veteran infield depth. With Adames more likely to command a contract within the $150MM vary, signing the shortstop would characterize one thing of a departure for Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, whose free agent signings have been pretty restricted throughout his seven seasons working Atlanta’s entrance workplace. Nonetheless, a extra aggressive foray into free company may be seen as needed after three straight playoff disappointments, and Anthopoulos definitely hasn’t been shy about spending generally, as evidenced by the Braves’ heavy slate of contract extensions.
Tyler Fitzgerald hit effectively in his rookie season however was a subpar defender because the Giants’ main shortstop in 2024. That stated, Fitzgerald has performed at six totally different positions throughout his two years within the large leagues, so it’s straightforward to see San Francisco shift him to a different spot on the diamond to accommodate Adames. The Giants have lengthy been desperate to deliver top-tier free brokers to the roster, and with Matt Chapman already signed to a brand new contract, including Adames would give the workforce arguably the league’s greatest left facet of the infield. Touchdown Adames (or one other large title) could be a simple approach for Buster Posey to make a splash in his first offseason because the Giants’ new president of baseball ops.
Extra from across the Nationwide League….
The Reds’ hiring of Terry Francona got here collectively shortly, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer reviews that president of baseball operations Nick Krall first touched base with Francona by way of a telephone dialog on September 26. Krall had gotten permission from the Guardians to talk with Francona (who was nonetheless with the workforce in a particular assistant position), as Francona was atop the Reds’ checklist of practically 100 attainable managerial candidates however “with an asterisk,” relying on the longtime skipper’s well being and whether or not he wished to return after a 12 months away from the game. Krall and GM Brad Meador met with Francona in Tucson on October 2, and had been impressed sufficient to name proprietor Bob Castellini to fly to Tucson the following day to finalize the contract. In different particulars on the managerial search, interim supervisor Freddie Benavides had put himself on the Reds’ quick checklist with a superb set of interviews, and Rangers affiliate supervisor Will Venable was additionally on the checklist of prime targets. It seems as if Benavides may’ve been the one different candidate to really interview, as Francona’s emergence precluded the Reds’ want to talk with Venable, or different rumored candidates as David Ross or Skip Schumaker.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was rocked for 5 runs over three innings in Recreation 1 of the NLDS final evening, although the Dodgers got here again for a 7-5 win over the Padres. Supervisor Dave Roberts advised reporters (together with The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) that the Dodgers had been exploring the chance that Yamamoto was tipping his pitches when runners had been on base, and Ardaya notes that Yamamoto had an identical pitch-tipping situation throughout Spring Coaching. Or, the issue may simply be that the Padres have Yamamoto’s quantity, as they tagged him for eight runs over six innings in two begins in the course of the common season. Both state of affairs is of course a priority for L.A. in the remainder of the collection, and Roberts solely stated Yamamoto was “in play” to pitch throughout a possible Recreation 5, if not essentially as a starter.
