Dodgers: 3 players who definitely won’t be back in 2022

1. Corey Seager

Call it a hot take, but do you see the Dodgers breaking the bank for Seager, who fell flat on his face in the 2021 postseason and was once again held back by injuries? Since his first full season back in 2016, the 27-year-old has appeared in 609 out of a possible 870 games.

We’re aware he was the NLCS and World Series MVP back in 2020, but Seager is a client of Scott Boras. The shortstop will not be taking any sort of discount … and we think the Dodgers made that somewhat clear when they acquired Trea Turner at the trade deadline.

And if they can’t get off Bauer’s contract, it’s hard to believe they’ll pay close to $30 million per season for Seager when they also have to figure out what to do with Kershaw, Scherzer, Taylor, Jansen, Kelly, Corey Knebel and Albert Pujols.

After all, though Seager is beloved by the fans, the Dodgers won 106 games when he missed 67 this year. They won 92 and the division when he played in only 26 games back in 2018. We’re not saying Seager isn’t integral to this team achieving its ceiling … we’re just saying the Dodgers have been just fine making do.

Toss Turner at shortstop, put Lux at second, and bring back Taylor, which will help out with the infield versatility should something happen. Don’t forget, Seager’s “projected” to likely make a move to third base within the next few years. That might be in the cards in LA, especially with Justin Turner’s career coinciding with that timeline, but, again, with others to prioritize, we feel Seager might be enticed by an opportunity elsewhere should somebody offer more money, while the Dodgers might not want to get into a bidding war and shell out another mammoth contract to someone who’s had trouble staying on the field and may not be a shortstop for the remainder of his career.

Whenever players of Seager’s caliber hit the open market, it’s not a good sign for the incumbent team. As a Boras client, the likelihood of an extension was never high, but the best chance of it happening was with a team like the Dodgers, who print money and seemingly have unlimited resources.

Brace for the worst. Seager will not be a Dodger in 2022.

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