Report: Mets have offered 7-year deal to top free agent infielder

Mar 26, 2022; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; The New York Mets logo stands in center field before the game against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets are ready to pony up to improve their infield this winter.

Baseball writer Mike Rodriguez reported on Thursday that the Mets have made a seven-year, $160 million contract offer to free agent infielder Willy Adames. Rodriguez notes that the Mets intend for Adames to play third base for them but that Adames is not convinced since he would prefer to continue as a shortstop.

The 29-year-old Adames is viewed as one of the top free agent infielders this offseason along with Alex Bregman and the Mets’ own Pete Alonso. He hit .251 with a .794 OPS last season for the Milwaukee Brewers, producing 32 home runs, 112 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases. That is a skillset that plenty of teams would easily pay up to have.

While Adames has exclusively been a shortstop throughout his career (save for 10 appearances at second base for Tampa Bay in 2018), the Mets already have four-time All-Star Francisco Lindor locked in at that position. Signing Adames to play third would allow 2024 postseason standout Mark Vientos to move from third base to first base and possibly make Alonso expendable for the Mets. But they will first have to convince Adames to make the switch, which may not be easy given that he has other big fish in pursuit of him too.