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The Dodgers look set to throw a wrench into the Braves' biggest offseason priority

The Dodgers just won the World Series and are already looking to get better.

By Zachary Rotman

Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman speaks in a press conference before game one against the New York Yankees in the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman speaks in a press conference before game one against the New York Yankees in the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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The Atlanta Braves are coming off a wildly disappointing season which saw them fall in the Wild Card round after entering the year with World Series aspirations. Knowing how their year transpired, it wouldn't be shocking to see GM Alex Anthopoulos be aggressive this offseason trying to improve the roster as much as he possibly can.

One area that the Braves absolutely should address is the shortstop position. Orlando Arcia was an All-Star in 2023 and is a strong defender, but he had an extremely underwhelming season at the plate and struggled mightily with runners in scoring position in particular. He's a fine player to have, especially on a $2 million salary, but amid an otherwise loaded lineup, shortstop is one of, if not the, single biggest weakest spot on the Braves' roster right now.

The best available shortstop in free agency by a mile is former Milwuakee Brewer Willy Adames. Whether the Braves spend what it'll ultimately take to get him remains to be seen, but he'd be a great fit in Atlanta if they're willing to swim in those waters. The problem is that there will be steep competition in the Adames sweepstakes.

One team that apparently is not only set to join the bidding but is seen as the favorite right now is the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to MLB insider Mike Rodriguez, the Dodgers are seen by many as the team with the best chance to get a deal done with Adames. If that is the case, that'd be a brutal outcome for the Braves.

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Dodgers can impact Braves offseason in multiple ways by signing Willy Adames

The Dodgers just won the World Series with players like Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas playing shortstop for them. While they're obviously solid players, Adames is a star. He'd make this Dodgers team that literally just won a title even better. Considering the fact that the Braves are another elite National League team looking to compete with the Dodgers, losing out on Adames to L.A. specifically would be heartbreaking.

In addition to his solid glove at the shortstop position, Adames slashed .251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs and 112 RBI for the Brewers this past season. He also chipped in 33 doubles and 21 stolen bases. He doesn't get much recognition, but he's a two-way star and would make whichever team he signs with much better.

Losing out on Adames would hurt for the Braves, considering their need for an upgrade at shortstop, but if he were to sign with the Dodgers, of all teams, that makes losing out on him so much worse. The Braves have other options to turn to even if they miss out on Adames, but again, having him sign with the Dodgers would make an already challenging task of winning the NL pennant that much tougher.

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