Dodgers fans shouldn’t worry about Giants-Seiya Suzuki free agency rumors

Right before the lockout, Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki was posted by the Hiroshima Carp and had about 10 days to find a team in Major League Baseball before transactions were barred until further notice.

In the end, he never found a deal, but he’s still a free agent and plans to come to the States when the lockout is lifted. He’s arguably been the biggest topic of discussion over the last couple of months, too.

Once upon a time, we lobbied for the Los Angeles Dodgers to bring him to town. It makes sense, too. Suzuki coming to the West Coast is much easier for his travels and ability to remain as close to home as possible. Plus, the Dodgers could use some outfield insurance, and Suzuki can play multiple positions.

His projected contract isn’t expected to be prohibitive and it’s an investment you’d probably deem appropriate for what Suzuki might be capable of in MLB: he can hit for average and power, get on base, steal bases, and cover ground in the outfield.

The bad news? According to recent reports, the San Francisco Giants might be the frontrunner for his services.

Will the Dodgers watch Seiya Suzuki sign with the Giants?

Well, take that news with a grain of salt, because just a couple of days ago it seemed to be a foregone conclusion Suzuki would be signing with the Red Sox. Now it’s suspected the West Coast teams have an edge (and the Cubs are hanging out here, too).

But let’s say Suzuki and the Giants end up being a match. Should Dodgers fans actually be concerned?

When you look at the situation through a bigger lens, you’ll realize that the Giants are bargain hunting when they only have $120 million committed to their payroll for 2022. Suzuki could very well be a bonafide talent, but the Giants are taking a risk here with the unknown for the sake of saving money it seems. Meanwhile, they might be passing on guys like Kris Bryant and Nick Castellanos, and even lesser-tier guys like Michael Conforto, Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler, which should be fine by Dodgers fans.

San Fran should be spending as much money as possible to maximize whatever window they opened last year, not bargain hunting or looking for low-risk, high-reward moves.

Let’s say you are worried, though. Understandable. You don’t want your immediate rival getting better or possessing the potential to do so. Well, so far, Suzuki’s top suitors are changing by the day. Once upon a time the Yankees were heavily interested, and now they’re nowhere to be found. Over the last three days, the Red Sox, Giants and Mariners have all been implicated as the favorites. There’s no telling what’s going to happen, and it’s possible they could get into a bidding war with the other contenders.

And who knows … maybe the Dodgers swoop in at the last second to steal Suzuki from their NL West rivals. They know a thing or two about entering the bidding late and offering a few more bucks to sweeten the pot.

Dodgers should pursue Japanese star after rumored contract details emerge

Japanese star Seiya Suzuki is ready to come to MLB, and his rumored contract range should totally interest the Los Angeles Dodgers.