Brewers Week In Review: Willy Adames Behind, Winter Meetings Ahead

[Kyle Ginsbach]

To some, the most important four-day stretch of the offseason begins on Monday. But just how important will the Winter Meetings be to the Brewers?

Image courtesy of © Jovanny Hernandez / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Before we get to that burning question, there are a few things to go over first.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of days, you’ve seen the news regarding former Brewers shortstop Willy Adames. Former is the key word in that sentence, as Adames has reportedly inked a seven-year, $182 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, the largest contract in their franchise history. The problem then comes for the Brewers, who must now find a way to replace someone who had become a cornerstone of their team since his acquisition from the Tampa Bay Rays midway through the 2021 season.

It also remains unknown if the Brewers made an offer for Adames, but as things stand now, the gap in their middle infield would likely be filled by either Brice Turang or Joey Ortiz sliding over from their current positions. Don’t forget that because the Brewers are extending Adames a qualifying offer that he declined, now that he’s signed a contract for more than $50 million; the Brewers will get an extra Draft pick between the end of the first round and the start of Comp Round A. If you’re still disappointed by that news, here’s why the Brewers chose the right path in letting Adames sign elsewhere.

In smaller news, trade deadline acquisition Frankie Montas also found a new home. Montas, who pitched a 4.55 ERA in 11 games with Milwaukee, will take his pitching talents to Queens. The deal officially comes in at two years, $34 million, a sign that the pitching market will be expensive going forward.

So, the Winter Meetings are often the busiest time of the offseason, when teams get together to discuss trades, contracts, and other business. The key storyline of the 2024 edition almost certainly centers around former Yankee and National outfielder Juan Soto. However, none of those talks will involve the Milwaukee Brewers. They might, however, reveal a few other names or internal options, a few of which we’ve already begun to speculate about ourselves.

Including: 

• Swinging a trade for Lenyn Sosa

• A Brice Turang Extension

• The Surprising Value of Randal Grichuk

• Finding something from Arizona’s infield

• Does Josh Rojas solve the 3B problem?

• Acquiring Bobby Miller to shore up the rotation

The point is that there are options available. While considering the major free agents as potential fixes is always the easiest thing to do, being realistic provides a broader range of possibilities. Are the Brewers guaranteed to do anything over the next four days? No, but the winter meetings could once again get the gear moving on the offseason for the Crew. Either way, Brewer Fanatic will have your Brewers Winter Meetings coverage, well, covered.

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