One of the biggest trades that went down this past offseason involved the New York Mets acquiring superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for a package of prospects.
Lindor, 27, was long rumored to be traded as he had only one year of team control left before potentially becoming a free agent at the end of the year.
Like the Los Angeles Dodgers with Mookie Betts last year, the Mets acquired Lindor with every intention of retaining him for the longterm. A deadline of Opening Day was set for the two sides to reach a contract extension.
Though the process didn’t come without some hiccups, the Mets eventually worked out a new contract with Lindor, signing him to a massive 10-year, $341 million contract.
The deal sets the market for the upcoming shortstop free agent class that includes Corey Seager, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa and Javier Baez.
Seager is the second-youngest of the group, behind only Correa, and could very well draw the most interest. There already have been reports of the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies possibly pursuing him if he reaches the open market.
Seager is coming off an outstanding 2020 season in which he hit .307/.358/.585 with 12 doubles, 15 home runs and 41 RBI over 232 plate appearances (52 games). He was on pace to set career highs in virtually every category over a normal 162-game schedule.
The soon-to-be-27-year-old then went on to enjoy a historic postseason that saw him earn MVP honors in both the National League Championship Series and World Series.
Since his rookie season in 2016, Seager ranks fourth in FanGraphs’ WAR among qualified shortstops (18.7), trailing only Lindor (25.2), Xander Bogaerts (21.6) and Manny Machado (20.6), who now plays third base for the San Diego Padres.
Seager’s 128 wRC+ over that span, however, is first among qualified shortstops. For perspective, Correa is right behind him with a 125 wRC+. Lindor (117), Story (114) and Baez (106) rank seventh, ninth and 15th, respectively.
In terms of defense, Lindor is in a tier above his peers, as his 77.6 defensive rating from 2016-20 ranks second only behind Andrelton Simmons’ 84.6. Lindor’s 11.0 UZR/150 is also second to Simmons’ 17.0.
Meanwhile, Seager’s 31.2 defensive ranking is good for 11th among qualified shortstops, and his 3.7 UZR/150 ranks sixth.
One metric that Seager hasn’t fared well in is defensive runs saved. Since the 2016 season, his -4 DRS is good for 14th among qualified shortstops — well behind Story (60), Correa (43) and Lindor (34). Baez did not qualify, but saved 46 runs at shortstop over that timeframe.
Despite that, Seager is still considered an above-average defender, and his elite offensive production makes him one of the more complete players at his position.
It remains to be seen if Seager will command a more lucrative contract than Lindor, but he certainly figures to sign one in that ballpark.
The Dodgers have shown they are willing to keep their homegrown stars around and could easily re-sign Seager to a record-breaking contract if they choose. However, the club must also consider future extensions for the likes of Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw.
Another factor in the Dodgers’ decision to re-sign Seager is their infield depth. The club has several players who can handle the shortstop position, including Gavin Lux and Chris Taylor. Of course, Taylor is due to become a free agent this fall as well.
Jacob Amaya, who has risen in prospect rankings, could also be knocking on the door for a Major League opportunity soon. All of this will play a role when it comes to Seager’s future with the organization in the coming months.
Seager won’t discuss or be distracted by free agency
Looking to keep the focus on the 2021 season and help the Dodgers repeat as World Series champions, Seager made it clear he won’t discuss or be distracted by his upcoming free agency.
“I don’t really want to talk about that, to be honest,” he said last month when asked if there had been contract extension negotiations with the Dodgers.
“That’s not the focus at all. The focus is right now. We’ve preached for a long time that it’s day to day. We’re showing up and we’re doing everything we can to be ready today. Once games start, try to win a game that day. There’s no other thinking.”
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