The Los Angeles Dodgers were eliminated from postseason contention on Saturday night, dropping Game 6 of the National League Championship Series to the Atlanta Braves. As a result, the Dodgers will not appear in their fourth World Series in five tries. What the Dodgers will do, however, is begin a monumental offseason.
Head executive Andrew Friedman will have to make some difficult decisions this winter, as a number of key contributors are heading for free agency. The group includes starters Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer, closer Kenley Jansen, shortstop Corey Seager, and utility starter Chris Taylor. Seager, for his part, voiced his willingness to return to Los Angeles following Saturday’s loss.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Seager said about possibly re-signing with the Dodgers, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “I grew up here. I spent a lot of time here. I believe in what these guys do. I believe in how we go about it. Absolutely.”
Seager, 27 years old, will have plenty of other suitors if he’s so inclined to hear them out. Over the last three seasons, he’s hit .290/.360/.516 (131 OPS+) with 50 home runs and 8.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference’s calculations.
The New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies could all show interest in Seager — and that’s without considering wild-card teams like the San Francisco Giants (who have one of Seager’s former bosses as their GM) and the Seattle Mariners. Seager, then, is well-positioned to sign an extravagant contract this offseason.
It’s unclear where Seager falls on the Dodgers’ list of priorities. As we noted elsewhere, Los Angeles acquired another high-quality shortstop at the deadline, in Trea Turner.
Turner will qualify for free agency next winter. It stands to reason that the Dodgers can only keep one for the long haul. Turner, by virtue of being under control for longer and lacking Seager’s documented back woes, might be their choice.
