Blue Jays suggested by MLB insider to add top free agent not named Juan Soto

The Toronto Blue Jays appear to be major players in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. The odds of them signing him are probably low, but they've met with him and will certainly make him an offer that he'll have to think about.

The idea of pairing Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in Toronto for the next decade has Jays fans salivating. The problem though, is that, again, they aren't seen as the favorites to win the race to sign Soto.

Signing Soto would be ideal, but he can't be the end-all-be-all. If the Jays fail to get him to sign the dotted line, they must have a backup plan. The Jays not having a backup plan once Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers played a huge role in what wound up being a disastrous 2024 campaign.

Given what happened last offseason, there's reason to believe that the Jays will spend considerable amounts of money in free agency to try and build the best team possible. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com linked the Blue Jays to one of the best free agents not named Soto - Willy Adames.

"The Blue Jays are looking at a number of free agents in an effort to upgrade the offense, but Adames may make the most sense. Toronto could shift him to third base next season, after which he could move back to shortstop if Bo Bichette departs as a free agent next winter," Feinsand wrote.

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Blue Jays linked to ideal Juan Soto alternative

If the Blue Jays miss out on Soto, there are a ton of high-end position players that the Jays can consider. Guys like Alex Bregman, Anthony Santander, and Pete Alonso would probably generate most of the attention, but Adames is intriguing for one particular reason.

On paper, Adames makes little sense for Toronto. Adames has played seven MLB seasons and has appeared in 870 games in the field. 860 of those appearances have been at shortstop. The other 10 were at second base, and all 10 came in 2018 - his rookie year. The Blue Jays have Bo Bichette, a six-year veteran who has 584 appearances in the field. All 584 of those appearances have been at the shortstop position. Feinsand's reporting that the Jays could use him at third base makes him a lot more appealing.

Adames could play at the hot corner in 2025, and also be an internal backup plan to play shortstop if Bichette departs as a free agent following the 2025 campaign. He's certainly good enough defensively to hold his own at both positions.

As solid as Adames' glove is, the Jays would be signing him mainly for his bat. The 29-year-old is coming off a season that saw him slash .251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs and 112 RBI. He has averaged 28 home runs and 91 RBI over the last four seasons, proving to be one of the best run-producing shortstops in the majors in that span. Adding a big bat like that to a lineup that even with an absurd season from Guerrero finished 23rd in runs scored and 26th in home runs this past season would provide a much-needed boost.

The icing on the cake when it comes to Adames is the fact that he has hit over .400 with a 1.100 OPS in 16 games played at Rogers Centre in his career. He sees the ball extremely well at a ballpark which he'd play in 81 times per season.

Adames is not Soto or close to him, and the fact that he has not played a single inning at third base raises at least some concern, but there's no denying that his bat would be a very welcome addition. A lot went wrong for the 2024 Blue Jays, but their offense being as bad as it was, even with the year Guerrero had, was arguably the biggest issue. Adding Adames would help that immensely, and ease some of the pain that would come from missing out on Soto.