Dodgers: What does Trea Turner mean for Corey Seager extension?

The Los Angeles Dodgers already had a solid double-play tandem led by shortstop Corey Seager, but Andrew Friedman wasn’t satisfied with that alignment in his quest to repeat as champions, so he decided to go for broke by adding former Washington Nationals stars Max Scherzer and Trea Turner at the trade deadline.

It cost the Dodgers two top prospects in catcher Keibert Ruiz and starter Josiah Gray, but Scherzer gives LA yet another frontline starter next to Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, and Walker Buehler.

Turner, who is hitting .322 with 18 home runs, 49 RBI, and 21 steals this year, should provide some pop at the top of the lineup.

Turner might be making the move to second base for the time being, but there is a chance that LA has stumbled upon a potential starting shortstop for the next decade in their newest addition.

With Seager a free agent, the Dodgers now have a replacement lined up for 2022, with more contract talks looming after that.

With Seager’s years of consistent production finally ready to help him cash in on a very lucrative contract, how does the addition of Turner, who is eligible for arbitration next year and a free agent in 2023, impact the chances of Seager wearing Dodger blue in 2022?

Will the Dodgers retain Corey Seager and Trea Turner?

Turner, per Bob Nightengale, has reportedly been telling those close to him that he has two reservations about joining the Dodgers. Turner wants to stick a shortstop long-term, and he doesn’t want to sign an extension with a West Coast team due to the fact he lives in Florida.

Of course, the Dodgers might be able to get Turner to drop those two prerequisites if they are able to sell him on the idea of competing for a championship year in and year out with Los Angeles.

If that happens, and they agree on a long-term deal, Seager might not have a spot for himself.

If LA can convince Turner to sign an extension on the West Coast, the Dodgers would have tons of leverage over Seager. Even though Justin Turner is getting older, it seems incredibly unlikely that Trea, Seager, and Gavin Lux are all retained next year.

The Dodgers might not want to dip too far into the luxury tax, and 2022 could be the year that Lux finally turns into a star, so keeping the cheaper Lux over the more expensive Seager could appeal to LA.

On top of the fact that Turner is just one year older than Seager, he has proven himself to be one of the game’s best contact hitters, defensive infielders, and base stealers during his stint with Washington. Seager could still return to the Dodgers, but if the front office views Turner as a long-term fix, he might need to look elsewhere for his next team.

Unless, of course, Seager is prepared to make the long-rumored move to second base.

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