The Dodgers have several players under contract in 2021 who should be targeted in trades by teams around the league.
The Los Angeles Dodgers had the best record in baseball this season and are now fighting for their first World Series title since 1988. The team is essentially the antithesis of their opponent in the Tampa Bay Rays. Money will be spent to acquire top talent with so much as a glance at the bank account.
Win or lose against the Rays, the Dodgers will likely try to improve once again this offseason. The team added Mookie Betts in 2020 and could look to swing a trade for someone like Francisco Lindor this upcoming offseason. Young players on the roster are developing at the same time and there are a few names on the payroll in 2021 who teams around the league should be calling about as soon as the World Series ends.
3 Dodgers to target in trade talks
3. Corey Seager
Corey Seager has emerged as a star for the Dodgers at a time when fellow shortstop Lindor could be on the team’s radar. That is even more true if the Rays win the World Series.
Like Lindor, Seager has one more year of team control remaining in 2021. The Dodgers acquired Betts under similar circumstances this year and wasted no time to give him the money he wanted.
Rumors around Lindor should have teams calling about Seager. He is a two-time All-Star who is raising his value when it matters most. That is in October. Seager has eight home runs up to this point and had five in the NLCS alone.
He is also not going to command a Lindor-level deal. Seager had a few years with a WAR above 5.0 but has a combined mark of 5.5 over the past three seasons. However, what he has done this postseason proves he is a long-term option at shortstop for any team.
Only contenders would likely be calling about Seager and two scenarios exist. The first is a team being like the Dodgers and trading for him with the expectation to shell out money immediately and offer an extension. The other option is to treat him as a one-year rental and chase a championship with Seager in his final arbitration year.
Dodgers fans may not want to see Seager go, but if he does it would only be because another star is in at shortstop in Los Angeles.