Dodgers: Yankees-Corey Seager rumors make Trea Turner trade look genius

Of course there’s a possibility the Los Angeles Dodgers re-sign Corey Seager this offseason. Nothing can be ruled out for a team with this kind of spending power until we witness definitive moves.

But fans always knew there would be difficulty in bringing the 2020 World Series MVP back. He’s a client of Scott Boras. He’s hitting free agency at 27 years old and helped the Dodgers snap their 32-year championship drought during the COVID-shortened season.

He’s arguably the best offensive shortstop in the game when you look at every hitting statistic across the board. Seager was never going to be cheap and he was never going to settle for less than what he believed he was worth.

Additionally, it was obvious other teams would be in the mix for him (and the other high-profile names set to hit the market). That would only create a bidding war, force his price tag to increase, and put the Dodgers in an even greater bind with guys like Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Chris Taylor and now Max Scherzer.

Now that the New York Yankees are reportedly in the mix for Seager, according to esteemed MLB insider Jeff Passan, that trade for Trea Turner couldn’t look any better at the moment regardless of his postseason performance.

The Dodgers’ trade for Trea Turner looks great after the Yankees-Corey Seager rumors.

The fact of the matter is that the Yankees are in desperate need of a shortstop after moving Gleyber Torres back to second base. They cannot go into 2022 without a star option. And to make matters worse for the Dodgers, New York desperately needs a lefty bat, so signing Seager would check off two offseason boxes with one signing.

It was previously mentioned that it’ll likely take a contract in the 10-12 year range to get Seager to sign, which already seemed excessive, especially for a team like the Dodgers who already have Turner and have only given out one contract in excess of eight years in the history of their franchise.

If Seager is projected to get that many years and well over $300 million, the Dodgers can focus on their other impending free agents, shift Turner back to his native shortstop, put Gavin Lux at second base, and supplement the roster in other ways. The loss of Seager will hurt, but Turner’s production is arguably better.

There are many Dodgers fans who want Seager back, but with increased market competition and so many other needs beyond the shortstop position, the Dodgers may be forced to move on.

They likely saw this moment coming, which makes the Turner trade look even more impactful because now they won’t have to worry about replacing a top player at his position in an offseason that’s about to be upended by the expiring collective bargaining agreement.

Dodgers: Will latest Corey Seager contract update force LA to move on?

According to a former MLB GM, the Los Angeles Dodgers will have to offer Corey Seager a very hefty contract to keep him in town. Will they do it?