Corey Seager Ready to Begin Reign as Dodgers' Shortstop of Future

There are exhibits to support the case all over Major League Baseball.

This year has been a boon for minor league aficionados. They have gotten to watch elite prospect after elite prospect called up in 2015. And it is not just the promotions to be excited about. Several players have made significant contributions to their major league teams, and two—Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson and Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant—even made the National League All-Star team, while Houston Astros prospect Carlos Correa already looks like the best shortstop in the American League.

The extracting of so many top prospects has rearranged the way rankings look, leaving another Dodgers prospect at the top of the lists. Shortstop Corey Seager is the nearly unanimous No. 1 guy, including topping the ESPN.com and Baseball America ratings.

The question now: When will the Dodgers usher in the Corey Seager era by making him their starting shortstop?

The logical answer: As soon as possible.

Seager, whose brother Kyle is the third baseman for the Seattle Mariners, demolished Double-A pitching for 20 games before the Dodgers promoted him to Triple-A Oklahoma City. There, he went into Tuesday slashing .283/.335/.461 with eight home runs and a .796 OPS in 284 plate appearances.

The numbers at Oklahoma City aren’t gaudy, but they are strong. And his overall .305/.351/.512 minor league line, 13 homers and .863 OPS are all impressive for a player nearly six years younger than the Triple-A average age as a 21-year-old.

“His arrow is certainly pointing up,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times over the All-Star break.

The raves are louder and more glowing from Seager’s opponents. They have seen him up close all season, from his towering home runs to his strong defense at a premium position.

“Best pure hitter I've seen in the Pacific Coast League this year,” Round Rock (Texas Rangers) manager Jason Wood, who coached at the Futures Game, told Shaikin. “He stood out head and shoulders above everybody else.”

The Dodgers, while downplaying their admiration of Seager in public, have coveted him in private. While the team is at least rumored to have real interest in pitchers like Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto and possibly David Price, per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Seager will not be part of the return package.

The Dodgers see him part of their near future. Not another club’s.

"

Farhan Zaidi to us on @MLBNetworkRadio - Urias untouchable. In Corey Seager category and will not be moved. #MLB #Dodgers #InsidePitch

— Casey Stern (@CaseyStern) July 20, 2015"

That is part of the reason the Dodgers did not try to retain Hanley Ramirez even on a shorter-term deal last offseason, and it’s why they acquired Jimmy Rollins as a stopgap solution at shortstop. While there has been talk of Seager eventually becoming a third baseman in the majors, the Dodgers at least want to try him at short.

That tryout could come sooner rather than later, like in September or next spring. 

Rollins was an offensive disaster in the first half. He hit .210/.263/.325 with a .588 OPS and .229 BABIP in the team’s first 81 games. He has also been bad defensively, checking in at minus-5.0 defensive runs saved and minus-3.3 in ultimate zone rating, according to FanGraphs.

Meanwhile, Seager has impressed with his glove, arm and range with Oklahoma City.

“What's amazing to me is his defense,” Wood told Shaikin, “to see him play shortstop and cover as much ground as he does for his size. He moves really well. He has quiet hands. He looks the part. Everything is under control.”

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The cries for Rollins to be benched and for Seager to be promoted have grown louder over the last three weeks, as Rollins has dipped to a .180/.241/.300 slash line in July. The fact that the Dodgers kept Seager from participating in the Futures Game over the All-Star break might not have been directly tied to a call-up, per Shaikin, but it showed they did not want to risk injury to their top prospect in case they do decide to call him up in the second half, before September. 

It would be something of a complicated situation to bring up Seager. It would likely mean the Dodgers traded or released Rollins as a courtesy since he is a veteran in a contract year. The Dodgers would not do the disservice of sitting Rollins during his worst season to tank whatever offseason value he still might have.

Not only that, but if the Dodgers get rid of Rollins and Seager struggles in the majors, that leaves them with Justin Turner, Enrique Hernandez and Alex Guerrero as their other options at shortstop. None of them are appealing, which is why the team traded for Rollins in the first place.

Additionally, the Dodgers like Rollins’ veteran presence, even with a data-driven front office. It is part of the reason they acquired him, as they wanted to change the clubhouse culture around the team.

It could be a messy situation if Seager does not immediately work out. Then again, with so many other top prospects succeeding in the majors this year, the Dodgers owe it to themselves to strengthen their lineup with Seager’s bat. He could be next in the line of promotions to heavily contribute in 2015 and help the Dodgers make their World Series run.

He is the team’s shortstop of the future, and that win-now future is now upon it.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.