To no surprise, the Los Angeles Dodgers extended the $18.4 million qualifying offer for the 2022 season to Corey Seager and Chris Taylor ahead of deadline. The two players have until Wednesday, Nov. 17 to accept or decline the one-year pact, though it is expected both will reject it.
Seager is the co-headliner of a star-studded free agent shortstop class that includes Carlos Correa, Marcus Semien, Javier Baez and Trevor Story. The 27-year-old stands out from the group as he bats left-handed, which could be of particular interest for teams looking to add balance to their lineup.
It is believed the Dodgers and Seager have mutual interest in working out a long-term contract, but that won’t stop other teams from pursuing the 2020 World Series MVP.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and others have joined the Dodgers with interest in Seager:
At least six teams, including the Yankees, Dodgers and Astros, figure to compete for five shortstops — Carlos Correa, Corey Seager and Trevor Story, plus Javier Báez and Marcus Semien, both of whom also can play second base.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers are said to have held talks regarding Seager and Taylor, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com:
Sources: #Tigers are taking comprehensive approach to free-agent shortstop market and have spoken with agents for Carlos Correa, Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Trevor Story, Javier Báez, and Chris Taylor over the last week. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 12, 2021
With the general managers meetings just taking place in Carlsbad, California this week, several teams used it as an opportunity to reach out to the representatives of free agents they are interested in.
That reportedly amounted to the Yankees holding negotiations with prominent agent Scott Boras regarding Seager. New York is a natural fit for him as they have a clear need at the position and could be aggressive spenders after staying under the $210 million luxury tax threshold this year.
If Seager were to sign elsewhere this offseason, the Dodgers hypothetically could pivot to one of the other top free agent shortstops. A more likely course of action, however, is moving Trea Turner back to the position.
Despite being limited to 95 games this past season due to a right hand fracture, Seager hit .306/.394/.521 with 22 doubles, 16 home runs and 57 RBI.
Dodgers ‘hopeful’ to re-sign Seager
While Seager is considered the Dodgers’ most difficult free agent to re-sign, the organization remains hopeful of keeping him in the fold for the foreseeable future.
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 more!
