Corey Seager is among the most popular names on the free agent market right now as he reportedly hopes to sign before the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires on Dec. 1, which would likely lead to a lockout.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Seager seem to have mutual interest in a return, however, there appears to be plenty of competition to keep the 2020 World Series MVP’s services.
The New York Yankees have been a team connected to Seager for multiple years and during the offseason, but they reportedly are more focused on Marcus Semien. Seager has also been connected to the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers, and it would be surprising if every team didn’t at least check in on his price.
While the Dodgers might need to enter a bidding war to re-sign Seager, who could receive a contract in the $300 million range, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said they are going to be aggressive in getting a deal done, via MLB Network:
“Seager obviously has meant a great deal to us. Looking back, I think we have a pretty demonstrated track record of guys that we know well and have been with us, we’ll be aggressive to try to retain. That being said, obviously we have a lot of really other talented players as well and a whole kind of overall payroll to look at and manage. He’s a great player, he’s going to get a great contract — rightfully so. Time will tell how it plays out.”
The 27-year-old is coming off a season in which he was limited to 95 games due to injury, but when he was on the field, Seager showed he is one of baseball’s most talented hitters, batting .306/.394/.521 with 22 doubles, 16 home runs and 57 RBI.
The Dodgers are hopeful they can get a deal done and the 2012 first-round pick also said he “absolutely” had interest in re-signing when asked about the possibility following the team getting eliminated by the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series.
“I grew up here, I’ve spent a lot of time here, I believe in what these guys do, I believe in how we go about it,” Seager said.
Dodgers only interested in Seager among free-agent shortstops
If the Dodgers are not able to re-sign Seager, they would reportedly move forward with Trea Turner as their starter despite the free-agent shortstop market being deep with talent.
Seager is joined in free agency by teammate Chris Taylor, along with Semien, Carlos Correa, Javy Baez and Trevor Story.
However, if the Dodgers sign Semien, Correa or Story, they would lose their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2022 MLB Draft, as well as $1 million from their international bonus pool for the upcoming signing period.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
