Brewers and Phillies Eye All-Star Swap to Shake Up Key Roster Spot
The Milwaukee Brewers face a significant challenge this offseason: replacing the heart and soul of their clubhouse, shortstop Willy Adames. Since joining the team midseason in 2021, Adames quickly became a fan favorite, etching his name into the franchise record books for shortstops.
In 2024, Adames posted impressive numbers: a .251/.331/.462 slash line, 32 home runs, 112 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. His 32 homers set a new franchise record for a shortstop, while his 112 RBIs broke a record previously held by Robin Yount. He also became the first shortstop in Brewers history to achieve a 30-20 season.
While Adames’ historic season was a thrill for fans, it also pushed him well beyond the Brewers’ financial reach for a potential re-signing. As a result, Milwaukee will need a new shortstop for 2025, but this creates another challenge as they look to fill a key position on the roster.
Before the 2024 season, the Brewers made a significant trade, sending 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for rookies Joey Ortiz and DL Hall. While Hall struggled early on and spent a considerable amount of time on the injured list, Ortiz quickly proved himself as one of the Brewers’ most reliable players. Originally a shortstop, Ortiz transitioned to everyday third baseman and put up a solid .239/.329/.398 line, along with 11 home runs, 60 RBI, and 11 stolen bases over 142 games.
2024 NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy has already stated that the plan for 2025 is to move Joey Ortiz back to his natural shortstop position, as Willy Adames is expected to depart.
While this shift addresses the need to replace Adames defensively, it opens up a new gap at third base and does little to fill the void left by Adames’ offensive production.
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