Potential Willy Adames, Devin Williams Landing Spots After Corbin Burnes Trade

The Milwaukee Brewers completed one of the biggest trades of the offseason Thursday night when they sent former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for DL Hall, Joey Ortiz and a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick.

Burnes is a year from free agency and was a frequently mentioned trade candidate throughout the offseason with the small-market Brewers unlikely to sign him to a long-term deal.

That could mean the Brewers are open for business in the days leading up to spring training, and according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, shortstop Willy Adames and closer Devin Williams are two potential trade candidates to monitor.

Like Burnes, Adames will also enter free agency after the 2024 season. The two-time All-Star Williams comes with the additional value of being more than just a one-year rental, with club control through 2025. He has seen his name pop up in trade rumblings this winter.

Ahead we've provided a team-by-team look at each club's current shortstop and closer situation, then pinpointed four potential landing spots for each player if the Brewers continue dealing.

ARI: Geraldo Perdomo, Jordan Lawlar

ATL: Orlando Arcia

BAL: Jorge Mateo, Jackson Holliday

BOS: Trevor Story

CHC: Dansby Swanson

CWS: Paul DeJong

CIN: Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain

CLE: Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman, Brayan Rocchio

COL: Ezequiel Tovar

DET: Javier Báez

HOU: Jeremy Peña

KC: Bobby Witt Jr.

LAA: Zach Neto, Luis Rengifo

LAD: Gavin Lux, Miguel Rojas

MIA: Jon Berti

MIN: Carlos Correa

NYM: Francisco Lindor

NYY: Anthony Volpe

OAK: Nick Allen, Aledmys Díaz, Darell Hernaiz

PHI: Trea Turner

PIT: Oneil Cruz

SD: Xander Bogaerts

SF: Marco Luciano, Casey Schmitt

SEA: J.P. Crawford

STL: Tommy Edman, Masyn Winn

TB: Junior Caminero, José Caballero

TEX: Corey Seager

TOR: Bo Bichette

WAS: CJ Abrams

With Amed Rosario traded at the deadline last year, the Cleveland Guardians do not have a clear answer at shortstop heading into the 2024 season.

Gabriel Arias (345 PA, 75 OPS+, .210/.275/.352, 25 XBH, -0.1 WAR) and Tyler Freeman (168 PA, .242/.295/.366, 11 XBH, -0.3 WAR) are the leading candidates to break camp with the starting job, but they could just be keeping the position warm for top prospect Brayan Rocchio (No. 50 on B/R Top 100 prospect list), who will also get a long look this spring.

If the Guardians are serious about tracking down the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central race, improving an offense that ranked 30th in home runs (124) and 27th in runs per game (4.09) still looks like a must.

Adames has posted a 108 OPS+ while averaging 27 home runs, 84 RBI and 3.9 WAR over the past three seasons.

Trade Proposal: Guardians acquire SS Willy Adames in exchange for OF Jaison Chourio (No. 9 CLE prospect), LHP Will Dion, RHP Cade Smith

The Miami Marlins shortstop job was split between Joey Wendle (81 starts), Jon Berti (52 starts), Garrett Hampson (26 starts) and Jacob Amaya (3 starts) last season, and with Wendle and Hampson both no longer with the team, there is a clear void at the position.

Berti has been a useful utility player over the years and is probably best served remaining in that role, so an outside addition is a very real possibility.

With no clear long-term shortstop option in the pipeline, Adames would be a candidate for an immediate extension in Miami, and at 28 years old he still has several prime years left in the tank.

A return built around MLB-ready infielder Xavier Edwards and former top prospect Sixto Sánchez would be an intriguing package for the Brewers after they sought players who can help immediately in the Corbin Burnes trade.

Trade Proposal: Marlins acquire SS Willy Adames in exchange for SS Xavier Edwards, RHP Sixto Sánchez, 1B Troy Johnston (No. 9 MIA prospect)

The assumption throughout the offseason has been Marco Luciano will break camp as the starting shortstop for the San Francisco Giants, but he remains largely unproven after hitting a middling .231/.333/.308 with 17 strikeouts in 45 plate appearances in his brief MLB action last year.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported in December that the Giants were monitoring the trade market for shortstops, specifically naming Adames, and with little done to move the needle this winter they could still use a splash.

Trading for Adames would also not necessarily mean blocking Luciano, since he has long been viewed as a potential candidate to shift to third base once he physically matures.

A trade for Adames would further block Casey Schmitt from playing time on the left side of the infield, and former top prospect Joey Bart is out of minor league options and unlikely to make the Opening Day roster, so they could be viewed as movable parts.

Trade Proposal: Giants acquire SS Willy Adames in exchange for IF Casey Schmitt, C Joey Bart, LHP Erik Miller

The continued uncertainty surrounding Wander Franco's future amid an ongoing investigation into allegations of inappropriate relationships with minors makes the shortstop position a question mark for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Defensive-minded José Caballero was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for slugger Luke Raley, and elite prospect Junior Caminero showed some flashes down the stretch last season after flying through the minors.

However, with the Orioles and Yankees swinging blockbuster deals to acquire Corbin Burnes and Juan Soto, they could be motivated to make a splash of their own. They are also plenty familiar with Adames from his four seasons with the club at the onset of his career.

Osleivis Basabe is an MLB-ready infielder who hit .296/.351/.426 with 35 extra-base hits and 16 steals in 94 games at Triple-A last year, and the 23-year-old could immediately replace Adames at shortstop.

Trade Proposal: Rays acquire SS Willy Adames in exchange for IF Osleivis Basabe (No. 4 TB prospect), RHP Yoniel Curet, IF/OF Greg Jones

ARI: Paul Sewald

ATL: Raisel Iglesias

BAL: Craig Kimbrel

BOS: Kenley Jansen

CHC: Adbert Alzolay

CWS: Gregory Santos

CIN: Alexis Díaz

CLE: Emmanuel Clase

COL: Justin Lawrence

DET: Alex Lange

HOU: Josh Hader

KC: Will Smith

LAA: Carlos Estévez

LAD: Evan Phillips

MIA: Tanner Scott

MIN: Johan Duran

NYM: Edwin Díaz

NYY: Clay Holmes

OAK: Mason Miller

PHI: José Alvarado

PIT: David Bednar

SD: Robert Suárez

SF: Camilo Doval

SEA: Andrés Muñoz

STL: Ryan Helsley

TB: Pete Fairbanks

TEX: José Leclerc

TOR: Jordan Romano

WAS: Hunter Harvey

The Los Angeles Dodgers had two of baseball's best relievers in 2023, slamming the door on wins with the one-two punch of Brusdar Graterol (68 G, 7 SV, 19 HLD, 1.20 ERA, 0.97 WHIP) and Evan Phillips (62 G, 24 SV, 6 HLD, 2.05 ERA, 0.83 WHIP).

However, they were reportedly part of the Josh Hader sweepstakes before he signed with the Houston Astros, so they were at least open to the idea of adding a top-tier closer to the mix.

Caleb Ferguson, Joe Kelly, Alex Vesia and a healthy Blake Treinen make up the team's other top bullpen options. Slotting Devin Williams into the ninth inning role and pushing everyone else up the list would improve the relief corps as a whole.

Nick Frasso and Kyle Hurt are two high-octane arms from a deep pool of young Dodgers pitching prospects, and both could make an impact in Milwaukee in 2024.

Trade Proposal: Dodgers acquire RHP Devin Williams in exchange for RHP Nick Frasso (No. 3 LAD prospect), RHP Kyle Hurt (No. 4 LAD prospect)

Another team in the mix for Hader before he landed in Houston was the New York Yankees, and finding one more impact arm for the bullpen appears to be the final item on the offseason to-do list. The division-rival Orioles swinging a blockbuster deal for Burnes could also provide some added incentive to make one final splash.

Sinkerballer Clay Holmes has been excellent since joining the Yankees at the 2021 trade deadline, posting a 2.50 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 153 appearances while converting 44 of 54 save opportunities.

He is backed by Jonathan Loaisiga, Tommy Kahnle, Ian Hamilton and a healthy Scott Effross in the middle innings, and while that has the makings of a solid bullpen, there is plenty of room for improvement if they wanted to swing a major trade.

The proposal below allows the Yankees to still hold onto top pitching prospect Chase Hampton and outfielders Jasson Dominguez, Spencer Jones and Everson Pereira, while giving the Brewers a trio of high-upside pieces that can help in the near future.

Trade Proposal: Yankees acquire RHP Devin Williams in exchange for RHP Will Warren (No. 7 NYY prospect), 3B Tyler Hardman, RHP Justin Lange

The Philadelphia Phillies employed a closer-by-committee in 2023, with Craig Kimbrel (23 SV) and José Alvarado (10 SV) leading the way, while Gregory Soto (3 SV), Seranthony Dominguez (2 SV) and Matt Strahm (2 SV) also saw a few late-inning opportunities.

With Kimbrel gone in free agency and no notable additions made to the relief corps so far this offseason, the Phillies are a logical landing spot as a team with World Series aspirations and a still unfulfilled need for a high-leverage, right-handed reliever.

The Phillies have missed out on rumored targets Robert Stephenson and Jordan Hicks, and a reunion with Héctor Neris made sense before he signed with the Chicago Cubs, so the options are dwindling in free agency with Ryan Brasier and Phil Maton the top remaining right-handed relievers.

Shortstop Bryan Rincon (19) and catcher Eduardo Tait (17) are two teenage prospects in the Philadelphia system that have been drawing interest from other clubs this offseason, according to Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Trade Proposal: Phillies acquire RHP Devin Williams in exchange for RHP Andrew Bellatti, SS Bryan Rincon, C Eduardo Tait

After spending much of the year without a reliable closer before leaning heavily on the trio of Aroldis Chapman, Josh Sborz and José Leclerc during their run to a World Series title, the Texas Rangers looked like an obvious landing spot for a top reliever this winter.

However, uncertainty surrounding their TV deal has caused the Rangers to take a more cautious approach to spending this winter, and while that has seemingly been resolved in the short-term the market has now been picked clean.

That could make a February trade for Williams the perfect solution, and with a $7.25 million salary for 2024 and a $10.5 million club option for 2025, he is affordable enough to squeeze into the team's plans for the upcoming season.

Justin Foscue is an MLB-ready bat and Owen White is a high-upside arm that might benefit greatly from a change of scenery, while slugger Abimelec Ortiz has shown the power potential to avoid the risk factors often associated with offensive-minded players who have limited athleticism.

Trade Proposal: Rangers acquire RHP Devin Williams in exchange for 2B Justin Foscue (No. 6 TEX prospect), RHP Owen White (No. 5 TEX prospect), 1B/OF Abimelec Ortiz