Dodgers Insider Doesn’t See Corey Seager and Trea Turner in LA Together Long-Term
The Dodgers have some decisions to make in free agency this year. Perhaps now more than ever before, we could be seeing a drastic roster change from 2021 into the 2022 season. And fans aren’t quite ready for that.
One area of concern is at shortstop. The Dodgers have Corey Seager hitting the market and Trea Turner with another year of control. But with Seager seeking a big contract, what are the odds they would try to sign him to a multi-year deal, and how does that play into Turner’s future?
Well, MLB’s Juan Toribio doesn’t see both guys ending up in Los Angeles long-term. If the Dodgers allow Seager to walk, Turner would go back to a normal position and the team would likely look to extend him instead.
If Seager walks, the Dodgers will then go to Plan B. And it’s not a bad one. Trea Turner, who was acquired from the Nationals on July 30, would slide from second base to shortstop, the position he has played most of his career. …In a perfect world, the Dodgers keep both Seager and Turner for the next decade. But that appears to be unlikely.
It’s easy to dream of a middle infield of Turner and Seager for many years in Los Angeles. But the reality is that the Dodgers will ultimately need to choose which guy sticks around for the long haul. Both shortstops are going to command massive contracts in free agency, putting at least one of them out of reach.
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And that money will also need to go a couple of different places down the line, so they have to be thinking past 2022. The Dodgers will need to pay guys like Walker Buehler and Julio Urias within the next few years, and the situation with Seager and Turner will play into that.
Some big decisions are on the horizon for Andrew Friedman and his team.
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I’m not convinced that “in a perfect world” you would want them both in LA, unless the DH comes into play and Seager can be convinced to play third. At any rate, you would end up with $300M to $400M worth of middle infielders and even the money printing Dodgers would have trouble sustaining that. At this point, I would just be happy to have one of the two on the team in 2023. We could end up with neither.
Exactly. I’ve said it before that by 2023, both Seager and Trea Turner could be gone and the outlook for this team going forward could be bleak with a few sub par seasons as a result. .
Hope for the DH…..Drrrrrrrrr isn’t going anywhere…That’s the real xfactor…..
Right on, Kirk. The DH will save Drrrrr from himself. Besides, it’s about time that MLB plays by the same rules for BOTH leagues. MLB has been the only major sport that has played with separate playing rules for each league for nearly 50 years! How about an even playing field for once in both the AL and NL.
Yes, I’ve been against it forever because I favor the original National League Ball. Where good pitching and defense, make the pitchers hit, and play situational ball. The Dodgers refuse to play National league ball anyways as they just try to slug and hit homers (Even with NO outs and runners and 2nd and 3rd in the NLCS and down by 3 runs, in the 5th inning)… The Dodgers already try and play American league soft Ball slug fest ball anyways, but seem to forget they don’t have a DH half the games. So bring it on Paul, and your right, it’s the only way Drrrrrr will figure everything out….
I’ve said so many times…elite pitching beats elite hitting
#1 offense in baseball shutout in deciding game!
What elite pitching did the braves have over the dodgers?
It was their more consistant offensive production that won the series for them.
Dodger need more consistant/dependable offensive production.
It is absolutely tantamount to get players to buy in and go all out to win a WS.
The Braves didn’t view themselves as championship caliber until Joc showed up. It’s pathetic how much we needed him in the clubhouse this year when we got all of these guys with years of postseason experience on this exact team and 3 pennants for some of them but not one could step up. There was little chemistry. Wasn’t Betts signed for that? He sent a message in spring of 2020 but I guess decided to be just another player on this team in 2021.
That was my criticism of this Dodgers team.
That’s what happens when guys get paid…
Our defense was trash this year it’s time to stop being cute, let’s have guys who are supposed to be at their position. Put Turner at SS, let the big awkward Seager go he can’t play short or stay healthy and refuses to move as if he’s a GG fielder. Sign Taylor and make him the full time 2B, Muncy at 1st, Pollock in LF, Bellinger a fulltime GG CF, and Betts in RF, Smith needs to work on his blocking this off-season. Justin I have no idea what to do with i think he’s done, if there’s a DH keep him and get a 3B
I’m all for it.
Concur here, Don. Dodgers certainly do not need all their players to be multi position players every game. My guess is the Dodgers would return Lux to 2nd. But if Taylor is signed (AND HE SHOULD BE THE FIRST PLAYER SIGNED) he certainly can be put at 2nd. However if there’s an injury to one of those outfielders, Taylor would be the guy who can play any of those 3 OF positions and do well enough.
I agree Paul, Taylor can certainly fill in out in the outfield if needed and Bellinger can move around but besides that no one should be moving around on a regular basis
Don, I also agree that the clubhouse chemistry was lacking, and no where near what the Braves had and the fact there were 11 free agents to be probably had something to do with it. Also, how certain players were used as well as how some pitchers were used, along with the micro managing and overthinking by Roberts and the FO also is a reason why Dodgers were bounced in the NLCS. We know about the inconsistent offense that took place all year long too.
I agree also.
Just find a good dependable infielder and outfielder that can play and hit.
Dodgers have become too obsessed with wanting multi position players, and signing players from the dollar store.
Don, agreed but it will never happen with the current manager and moneyball metric ideals. Drrrrrr likes to “Surprise” the team on a daily basis as to who’s playing and where in the line up. Maybe he thinks it will keep the team alert and on their toes. I like your plan and any rational person running things would do something similar. Only difference I see would be to just get a Real catcher that can throw people out , hit and play Defense. Smith can hit and is a great ball player but he’s not a true catcher.
I don’t see why people think Smith is so great, he doesn’t throw that many people out and way too many balls get past him
Concur, Don, but it’s also the issue of the pitching staff not holding runners close and not giving the catcher much of a chance to catch base stealers. Joe and Orel talked about that on the broadcasts frequently throughout the year. Pitchers being slow with their delivery.
Probably some sabremetric philosophy where base stealing doesn’t matter because you can just get the 3 outs.. oh wait the computer didn’t calculate how the pitching strategy doesn’t always play out perfectly
I think most knee down catchers are at a disadvantage with runners on the move. I would like to see some pop times of catchers that use conventional position 2 setups and one knee down.
Huh, that’s weird; executives from all around baseball as well as many analysts who played the game ALL say Smith is one of the best catchers in the game. Who knew that internet posters were so much smarter than all these people…
No doubt offensively he is.
Defense was never the big problem, they adequate for job.
They lack consistent dependable offensive production. Too many players, too often disappearing, striking out, popping up, grounding out when you needed them most.
I am with you. Defense matters. Pitching wins games. Defense gives a pitcher confidence he can allow a team to hit the ball and his defense will get it.
This year the Defense was not good.
I thought Muncy has turned himself into a good fielding 1st baseman. But Seager does not have the range and is not lightning quick like a true SS should be. Catcher, SS, 2nd base CF the defense up the middle is important. Dodgers do have excellent outfield defenders with Pollock, Taylor, Bellinger, and Betts.
Duh. Turner was a big reason for that late season trade. Cory is going to go get rich somewhere else. He’s a stud and he’s hitting the market at the peak of his value.
And he won’t stay around after next year, so trade him.
Trea for Rameriz sounds good.
Like it or not the two hottest teams went to the series, and the one that stayed hot the longest won it. It’s the same way most years. You can’t buy a can of hot and open it when you want it. Baseball is the least predictable sport on a short term basis. It’s imperfections keep it interesting.
4 of the last 6 champions were favorites or equally favorited, and not necessarily red hot. Teams like the Braves or Nationals usually have their hot underdog story continued with blunders by the other teams. The Dodgers made this possible they also handed the nationals game 5 in 2019
Poor pitching decisions by Roberts was a huge part of that in 2019.
Paul, you are so right about 2019, but most people totally forget about roberts terrible pitching decisions.
Yes, Greg and it’s also the constant micro managing of daily lineups where many players don’t know frome one day to the next where or when and if they are in the lineup or not mainly because this ridiculous obsession with lefty/righty match ups. It amazes me how they let a computer dictate almost every move made.
Yes using Kershaw when we had a full bullpen to get the last 6 outs is ludicrous. Then 2 years later he does similar with Urias
And as I said before:
That’s Roberts for ya.
If the Dodgers had been hot or Boston had been they would have been in.
You don’t have to be hot. The whole hot postseason team thing gets blown out of proportion. You can win by just getting the job done when needed.
Exactly, Don!
Look at the post season hitting of each team involved.
Muncy was a catcher when he came to the Dodgers – Smith could probably be used at 3B – If the DH is in play, then JT can DH and there won’t be as much pressure on the Catcher to hit.
As I’ve said before the DH will also save Roberts from himself.
I don’t think Smith will ever be a 3rd baseman.
Their best bet is left field and 1st base.
They should have kept Ruiz as their catcher and moved smith to another position while still in the minor leagues. It takes time to learn a new position
SIGN TAYLOR 3 YEARS 56 MILLION, DH- Cruz 1 year 13million, SIGN ALEX WOOD 2 YEARS 30 MILL. long shot sign RICH HILL FOR USE FOR HALF YEAR TIL WE GET DUSTIN MAY BACK. WORTH A SHOT. 1.5 MILLION FOR RICH. LET SEAGER GO AND GO ALL IN ON FREEMAN. LUX, MUNCY AND TAYLOR CAN FILLL IN AT 2ND. JUSTIN WILL NEED TO TAKE MORE BREAKS THIS YEAR. RESIGN JOC PETERSEN WOULD BE HUGE. HE’LL COME BACK AND STILL GET HIS 350 AT BATS. 2 YEARS 26 MILLION. FOR THE PICHERS JACKSON AND MILLER ARE LEGITE AND NOT SURE ABOUT PEPPIOT. I’M NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH SHERZER, KERSHAW AND BAUER… SO TIME WILL TELL.
Hills washed up and you know Friedman’s would slap Wood in the face again
That would be way over paying for Taylor. He is a very good multi positional player but he is not an elite player and strikes out too much.
Scott Boras is Seager’s agent. That’s a guarantee that he won’t be back. They will sign Trea to a long term deal.
Hope you’re correct, Dodger Boy. Because Dodgers won’t be able to keep both but again, Dodgers could also lose both by the time 2023 season is here. It’s a reason why Lux can’t be dealt away.
Trea is not going anywhere. The fastest player on the planet will sign a long term deal.
Trea won’t be back after next year.
HE prefers the east coast.
Trade him now for Rameriz we need a 3b more than player who doesn’t really want to be here.
You’re wrong about Trea. Who is Ramirez?
I agree that money will be needed to retain pitchers like Buehler and Urias……so that Roberts can continue to handle them poorly.
We need to stop bringing up money when it comes to the Dodgers, attendance and tv contract can easily cover the payroll and farm system. We can easily afford Seager and Turner as we did Kershaw and Bauer. Mookie Betts clothing sales generates a few salaries also. Let’s put the best players on the field and worry less about the budget which is not a problem.
I agree they could go all in for a few more years and be fine but ownership is greedy, they want an even extra ridiculous income so the luxury tax line is their limit. With that being said this team should be able win titles without going way over the tax. How much money can be thrown at this team before it’s enough? Is there even a number? A payroll of 150M-190 should get it done if the right players are acquired. They also need to stop running it like a Tampa bay team regarding decision making. This could’ve just simply been run out there and they would’ve won but instead they outsmarted themselves vs ATL
Yeah they really out smarted themselves getting big name like Sherzer, Bauser Trea Turner Betts.
I think would have had more success signing Harper and keeping kike, verdugo and ruiz.
And finding cheaper starters like a Woods, berrios, hill, etc.
Headline news!!!!!!!! Attention: Bauer will Not opt out of contract……… Good for him…..He should sue both the Dodgers and MLB baseball if they deny him his right to make a living….
Turner can play ss Seager moves to 3rd base JT will the DH problem solved
Seager is not coming back. They should sign Kris Bryant instead. Then your problem is solved.