Latest shortstop rumors prove Dodgers positioned themselves perfectly for lockout

There have only been a handful of notable transactions over the last few weeks, but it looks like that might be all we get before the lockout commences in a little over a week.

Big spenders such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, both of whom figured to be heavily involved in the shortstop market, have stood pat. At first, it was believed those two teams were in a bidding war for Corey Seager.

But everyone knows you can’t believe everything you hear during these hectic offseasons. You’ll get ping-ponged to death with conflicting reports and rumors. Then again, sometimes conventional wisdom reigns supreme and fans get a clearer picture of what’s going on.

Did we really think any team was going to spend carelessly ahead of the potential lockout? The CBA expires at midnight on Dec. 1. Why would any front office commit, say, $250 million to a player without knowing the financial implications and/or league structure for the foreseeable future? We know Scott Boras made it clear that his clients (Seager and Marcus Semien) wanted to sign before then.

Duh, yeah, we’d want immeasurable financial security for a decade before the league’s owners and players went to war, too. Nonetheless, the latest buzz surrounding said shortstop market proves the Dodgers perfectly positioned themselves to cope with the impending chaos.

Dodgers positioned perfectly for lockout based on latest shortstop rumors.

With Major League Baseball grossly unprepared for every momentous state of affairs, the Dodgers likely knew we’d be in this mess. Compound that with Seager’s long-rumored contract demands, and that’s why they went out and acquired Trea Turner at this year’s trade deadline.

With or without Seager, the Dodgers can prepare for 2022 Opening Day with an elite shortstop. And they can hang around as the offseason progresses to position themselves strategically when the lockout ends. Perhaps they’ll be first in line for Seager at a discounted price? Perhaps Carlos Correa, with the intention of moving him to third base after 2022 or 2023? Just spitballing here!

Maybe Javier Baez for second base? Maybe Trevor Story on a big one-year contract if he wants to re-establish his worth for another go-round in next year’s free agent class? So many options for the Dodgers to consider even with their advantageous infield situation.

Potentially losing Seager certainly doesn’t make anybody feel “better” about the current climate, but Turner’s presence, coupled with the possibility of him signing an extension, was clearly orchestrated by the Dodgers since they knew the mess that was about to take place once the 2021 season came to a close.

And now, with little traction on the high-profile shortstop market, LA could still head into 2022 with another All-Star option at a cheaper price than the projected $250-$300 million contracts.

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