The SS Red Sox reportedly had “strong interest in” signs elsewhere

Red Sox

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Boston had a meeting scheduled with Willy Adames last week.

Another free agent who was linked to the Red Sox this offseason is no longer on the job.

Shortstop Willy Adames reportedly agreed to a seven-year, $182 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Boston has been linked to the 29-year-old since the start of his free agency. Last week, USA today‘s Bob Nightengale reported that the Red Sox had agreed to meet with Adames, adding that Boston had “strong interest” in him.

The team is publicly looking for a right-handed hitter, and Adames would fit the bill.

While the Red Sox don’t have a gap at shortstop, the oft-injured Trevor Story currently occupies that position. Story has struggled to stay healthy since signing with Boston in 2022 and has played in just 163 games in three seasons. On paper, it makes sense for the club to do its due diligence regarding who is available on the market at SS.

Additionally, aside from the upheaval at shortstop that acquiring Adames would have caused, the move would certainly have had an impact on the rest of the infield. Adames is reportedly open to playing third base, which could have kept Red Sox star third baseman Rafael Devers away from the hot corner. Nightengale reported that Boston had “talked internally about moving Rafael Devers from third base” in its Adames coverage.

If Devers had ultimately been moved from third base due to the hypothetical move, the organization could have opted to make him the team’s designated hitter or first baseman. The latter would almost certainly have led the Red Sox to try to trade first baseman Triston Casas, who has emerged as an exciting young player at the club.

It’s hard to say whether such a tectonic mix-up in the infield would have been the right move for Boston at this point. The team’s major league roster is filled with a variety of young, promising players, as well as within the minor league system. It feels like the Red Sox have put their faith in kids over the last few years, so moving on from Casas with the intention of moving up to another position would have been a mystery.

With Adames officially off the market, the baseball world is one step closer to figuring out which team Juan Soto will sign with. As of Saturday night, Boston is reportedly still in the running for the young talent.