Many baseball enthusiasts were taken aback by the Milwaukee Brewers' decision to trade Corbin Burnes, their top reliever, to the Baltimore Orioles.
However, the Brewers are not yet done with their roster changes. They are reportedly considering trading or releasing their star shortstop, Willy Adames, within the next few weeks.
Few people were surprised when the Brewers decided to let Burnes go. There had been rumors of a split between the star pitcher and the team since the arbitration hearing last offseason.
By making this move, the Brewers can free up salary cap space, which could help them add another important player this winter. But the exit of important players such as Burnes, Adrian Houser, Mark Canha, and others marks a big change for the team.
The Brewers got shortstop Willy Adames in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in May 2021. He is now the center of attention.
Adames had a tough regular season in 2023, with a career-worst batting average of.217 and an OPS of.717.
However, he returned strong in the tournament, hitting 571/.625/.714 in the Brewers' playoff win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Who will the @Brewers trade next...could it be Willy Adames?
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Adames' contract situation makes the Brewers' decision-making process more interesting.
Adames is now in the last year of his club control. He dodged arbitration in January by signing a $12.25-million deal for the next season.
Since no long-term deal is in the works, the Brewers must decide whether to trade him before he becomes a free agent or let him leave next winter.
When asked about Adames' future, Brewers general manager Matt Arnold responded, "It's hard to say. "
"Sometimes these deals go through very quickly, and sometimes they take a long time. I'm certainly willing to have more talks. There's still time to talk, so I wouldn't shut down any talks."
The Tampa Bay Rays could be interested in acquiring Adames. Now that Wander Franco has left, they may require a regular shortstop.
Additionally, some experts believe that the Los Angeles Angels might also show interest in Adames as they lack experienced shortstops and have limited options in the infield.
The Brewers' willingness to make Adames available shows that they have a plan for their roster, which fits with the rumor that they are ready to trade almost any player on it, first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic in November 2023.
It looks like the team is going through a change as they trade away their best players for young players before they become free agents.
As they go through this change, the baseball world will pay close attention to how the Brewers build their group for the next season.
Burnes' departure and the possible trade of Adames show that the Brewers are changing their plan. Time will tell how this risky move will affect their ability to compete in the National League.