Corey Seager Receives $18.4M Qualifying Contract Offer from Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers took a step toward keeping All-Star shortstop Corey Seager on Sunday.

The Dodgers announced they have tendered Seager a one-year qualifying offer valued at $18.4 million.

This procedural move benefits the Dodgers even if Seager signs with another club in free agency. They would receive a bonus pick in Competitive Balance Round B in the upcoming draft.

There does seem to be a strong chance that Seager ends up going elsewhere. The Dodgers acquired Trea Turner from the Washington Nationals, along with pitcher Max Scherzer, on July 30.

Turner has one more year of team control remaining before he is eligible for free agency next offseason. The 28-year-old is a natural shortstop, but he primarily played second base after the trade because of Seager's presence.

There are a lot of big roster decisions the Dodgers have to make this offseason. Seager, Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Chris Taylor and Kenley Jansen are all unrestricted free agents.

One thing that could cause Seager to accept the qualifying offer is his injury history. The two-time All-Star has missed 239 games since the start of the 2018 season. He sat out 65 games from May 16-July 29 in 2021 because of a fractured hand suffered when he was hit by a pitch from Miami Marlins reliever Ross Detwiler.

When Seager has played, he's been one of the most valuable shortstops in MLB. The North Carolina native hit .306/.394/.521 with 16 homers and 57 RBI in 95 games during the 2021 campaign.

Since making his MLB debut in 2015, Seager ranks sixth among shortstops with 23.7 fWAR, per FanGraphs.

Seager was named MVP of both the National League Championship Series and World Series in 2020. He hit .347/.439/.816 with seven homers in 13 games against the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays.