Surprise team rumored as possible Willy Adames suitor at MLB trade deadline

The Milwaukee Brewers are off to a surprisingly good start after shipping Corbin Burnes off to the Baltimore Orioles. They currently sit at the top of the NL Central with a record of 10-6. The popular consensus at the beginning of the season was that the Brewers would fall out of contention. That remains a possibility with so much time left in the season.

ESPN's David Schoenfield made a list featuring each team's most likely trade candidate. On the list for the Brewers was veteran shortstop and slugger Willy Adames.

Adames is a free agent at the end of the year, and the whole reason the Brewers traded Burnes was because he was entering his walk year. This makes Adames a possible trade candidate, and the Detroit Tigers are listed as a potential destination by ESPN's David Schoenfield.

"The Brewers are playing well and Adames has been their cleanup hitter to begin the season, which would seem to make him an unlikely trade candidate. But that hasn't stopped the Brewers before. They traded Josh Hader at the 2022 deadline even though they were in first place. Or maybe the lesson there is they traded Hader while in first place and ended up missing the playoffs. Still, Adames is heading into free agency, and Joey Ortiz can replace Adames at shortstop -- and if the Brewers are in the playoff hunt, they will need some pitching help. Teams such as the Tigers, Giants, Red Sox or even the Dodgers (if they move Betts back to the outfield) could all be in the hunt for a shortstop."

Tigers listed as possible suitor for Willy Adames

Like the Brewers, the Tigers are off to a solid start. While they sit in third place in the AL Central, they are only two games back of first place and own a record of 10-7.

Shortstop is somewhat of a question mark right now for the Tigers. They have Javier Baez, who they signed to a six-year deal prior to the 2022 season. But Baez has struggled at the plate and is currently hitting just .140 in his first 50 at-bats this season.

They do have Zack McKinstry, but their shortstop tandem still leaves a lot to be desired. This is where Adames could come in handy.

Adames provides power and solid defense and would be a huge threat in the middle of the order for a Tigers team that is taking steps towards respectability. They do already have Mark Canha in their lineup, but having an extra power bat certainly wouldn't hurt and would give them a chance to win the AL Central, which is expected to be a relatively weak division this year.

Detroit took some major steps last year, finishing 78-84 and coming in second place in the AL Central, igniting some hope in the Motor City. The future is looking a little brighter for the Tigers.

As for the Brewers, they could plug Joey Ortiz in at the shortstop position to replace Adames and possibly get some pitching out of a potential deal.

But a move to acquire Adames would be pivotal for the Tigers as they try to take steps towards competing for a spot in the postseason.