Well before Corey Seager played his way to a National League Rookie of the Year Award and standing as one of the top shortstops in the game, there were whispers the Los Angeles Dodgers would eventually move him to third base.
However, those whispers have largely come from those outside the organization. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi have not only refrained from against suggesting a possible move, they’ve voiced confidence in Seager’s ability to remain at shortstop.
Whether that’s changed some in light of Seager undergoing Tommy John and hip surgeries this season is unclear. What is evident is it hasn’t shaken any Seager’s confidence.
When posed with the scenario of the Dodgers asking Seager if he would be able to play shortstop next season, the 24-year-old didn’t hesitate to answer, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “Based to this point, I’ll be ready to go. I should, ‘quote unquote,’ have a pretty normal spring. It will probably be a little slow in the beginning, but should be pretty normal.”
At the time of undergoing Tommy John surgery this past May, the Dodgers set a timeline that would have Seager making a full recovery in time for the start of Spring Training. The arthroscopic hip surgery he had in August was not expected to effect the projected timetable.
Although Seager essentially lost the 2018 season, he admitted to finding comfort in knowing his balky right elbow would no longer be the cause of discomfort or worry that an operation would be required.
With Seager intending to remain at shortstop, the Dodgers could face a decision this winter with respect to possibly re-signing Manny Machado. Though, it’s believed Machado’s preference is to sign with the New York Yankees.
