4 of the Blue Jays' best backup plans if they miss out on Juan Soto

Willy Adames, SS

Bregman might not be the only hot commodity in the infield this offseason as Willy Adames has certainly put himself in the picture after a blazing 2024 season. This past year, Adames put together a spectacular campaign in which he amassed a .251 batting average and a .794 OPS, along with 93 runs scored, 33 doubles, 32 home runs, 112 RBI and 21 stolen bases over 161 games played. His 112 RBI led all shortstops in MLB, while his 74 walks led all NL shortstops.

Adames has been a consistent run producer in each of his past four seasons, averaging close to 28 home runs and 90 RBI during that time frame. Despite having a high strikeout rate throughout his career, he has made huge strides in greatly improving in that category. He has gone from his highest rate, at 36.1% back in 2020, all the way down to a career-low 25.2% this past season.

In addition, Adames has also improved his walk rate, raising it close to 11% over the past two seasons. With better plate discipline usually comes greater success at the plate, which we witnessed in his results in 2024.

To top it off, Adames was a monster hitting with runners in scoring position, as he batted .293 with an eye-popping 1.073 OPS, with 93 of his 112 RBI coming from such scenarios. Even with two outs with RISP, Adames still managed a .279 average with a whopping 1.061 OPS. Talk about being able to fully capitalize on run-producing situations, as he did exactly that. He would look perfect in the heart of the Jays lineup with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., giving opposing teams headaches whenever they came to bat.

One caveat, though, is the fact that Adames has spent his entire MLB career at the shortstop position. However, according to Jon Morosi, Adames is open to playing third base “for the right deal and the right team.”

Given his athleticism and work ethic, there is a good chance that he should be able to make the transition smoothly if needed. In the case of the Jays, if Bo Bichette still remains with the team going into the 2025 season, the hot corner would be where Adames needs to be to make things work. But to be able to have the Adames option as the Soto backup plan, he should be enough of a difference-maker to do the organization proud with the move if it comes to fruition.