3 Willy Adames backup plans for Braves after shortstop signs with the Giants

Willy Adames has officially landed with the San Francisco Giants on a seven-year, $182 million contract. He is the first major offensive domino to fall in free agency, unexpectedly preceeding Juan Soto's looming decision.

It's a great day for the Giants, who continue to get serious about winning under new team president Buster Posey. Adames will join Matt Chapman on the left side of the infield, supplying the heart of the Giants lineup with some much-needed pop.

His unexpectedly early commitment to San Francisco hangs a lot of suitors out to dry, including the Atlanta Braves, who were among his most active pursuers, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Adames would have provided an immediate upgrade at shortstop over Orlando Arcia, whose production plummeted during the Braves' nightmare 2024 season.

It's unclear where the Braves go from here. Atlanta hasn't been tied to many All-Star free agents, with Adames standing out in a special light due to his positional fit. That shouldn't stop Alex Anthopoulos from getting aggressive and creative, though. This Braves team has what it takes to put another World Series trophy on the shelf. That is the only goal — not saving money.

Here are a few viable Adames backup plans if the Braves decide to keep pushing.

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3. Ha-seong Kim would give the Braves speed and defense at shortstop

A suspected Giants target before the Adames signing, Ha-seong Kim figures to command a significant market as arguably the next-best shortstop available in free agency. He underwent labrum surgery in October and could miss a chunk of the 2025 season, but Kim would offer plenty of long-term appeal for the Braves.

At 29 years old, Kim finished 14th in NL MVP voting the season before last and earned his first (of potentially many to come) Gold Glove. He's coming off a down year at the plate, slashing .233/.330/.370 in 403 ABs for the San Diego Padres, but Kim still managed 22 stolen bases in an injury-plagued season. His speed on the base paths, combined with a sharp glove at a premium position, makes him a worthy investment.

The Braves aren't short on offense when the lineup is at full strength. Kim would replace Arcia, who finished last season with an even worse OPS (.625) than Kim (.700), so the offense is still a marginal upgrade. Atlanta can insulate Kim in the back half of their lineup behind some of the MLB's top sluggers, all while reaping the rewards of his defense next to Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies.

This is a tremendous partnership all around and a worthwhile endeavor for the Braves front office, even if it feels less sexy than swinging for the fences with Adames.

2. Braves can still go after a proven winner in Alex Bregman

We should preface this by saying it almost definitely won't happen, but there's a strong case for Alex Bregman as a top Braves target. His price tag could match or exceed Adames' $182 million, so tread carefully, but Bregman is a two-time Word Series champ with almost a decade of postseason experience under his belt. For an Atlanta team looking to reach the mountaintop, that ought to be appealing.

The complicating factor, of course, is position. Bregman is a third baseman by trade and the Braves aren't going to punt Austin Riley off of the hot corner. That said, Bregman has expressed a willingness to switch to second base. The natural next question, of course, is 'What about Albies?' That is a fair question, but a simple one. Albies came up through the Braves farm system as a shortstop. He won't provide elite defense, but he should be able to hold his own well enough for Atlanta to reap the offensive benefits of an infield that consists of Riley, Albies, Bregman, and Matt Olson.

Bregman is a sharp glove in the middle of his prime, as well as a proven offensive contributor. He's coming off a relative down year, but he still slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs. Extremely disciplined at the plate and frequently clutch in October, Bregman would add meat on the bone for a Braves offense that is primed for an explosive rebound in 2025.

This is an unconventional and highly expensive alternative, but it merits consideration. Bregman wants to contend and few teams have a clearer path to the late stages of October than Atlanta at full strength.

1. Braves can turn to Bo Bichette on the trade market

The Toronto Blue Jays are clearly intent on spending aggressively this offseason in vain pursuit of postseason glory. We know Ross Atkins cannot build and sustain a winner, but the Blue Jays don't seem to know that yet. Toronto has checked in on Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and other top free agents, but is Toronto actually a favorite to land any of them?

We've seen this all before. The Blue Jays were finalists for Shohei Ohtani last winter, only to fall short and fumble through an inadequate backup plan. Both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are free agents at the end of next season. If the Blue Jays can't land Soto, and if the rest of Toronto's ambitious offseason plans fall by the wayside, one has to imagine Bichette will come up in trade talks (again).

This has been a popular hypothetical in Atlanta for a while. Bichette was awful last season, point blank, but he's only a couple years removed from leading the American League in hits in back-to-back seasons. Bichette is 26 years old with two All-Star berths under his belt and a mountain of evidence to support the theory of a bounce-back campaign in 2025.

His .598 OPS last season was rough — not to mention the nagging injuries that held Bichette to 81 games played — but it's hard to imagine Bichette staying down for long. He's an obvious upgrade over Arcia with major upside if the swing comes back around. Peak Bichette leading off in front of Ronald Acuña, Austin Riley, and Matt Olson? It's a tantalizing thought.