The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the offseason facing the possibility of losing several key contributors in free agency, including Corey Seager, who is the co-headliner of a star-studded shortstop class that included Carlos Correa, Marcus Semien, Javier Baez and Trevor Story.
Semien was first to come off the board as he agreed to a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Texas Rangers. In some regard that set the floor for Seager, who continued to be pursued by the Rangers and other clubs.
At just 27 years old, Seager was projected to receive a contract upwards of 10 years and $300 million. That potentially would be out of the Dodgers’ comfort zone as they face a need in their starting rotation and are said to be interested in re-signing Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Seager has agreed to a 10-year, $325 million contract with the Rangers:
BREAKING: Star shortstop Corey Seager and the Texas Rangers are in agreement on a 10-year, $325 million deal, sources familiar with the situation tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 29, 2021
Seager stood out from the group free-agent shortstops as he is the only one who bats left-handed. His market was robust from the start, which increased the chances of him signing with a team before the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires on Dec. 1.
Seager batted .297/.367/.504 with 164 doubles, 104 home runs and 364 RBI in 636 games with the Dodgers. Over that stretch, he earned National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2016, was selected to two All-Star Games and helped the club win the 2020 World Series.
Despite missing a significant amount of time this year due to a right hand fracture, Seager still hit a solid .306/.394/.521 with 22 doubles, 16 home runs and 57 RBI in 95 games.
Dodgers compensation for Seager
Because the Dodgers extended Seager the $18.4 million qualifying offer for the 2022 season, they are due to receive a compensation pick after the fourth round in next year’s draft, barring any changes that may come with a new CBA.
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