Following weeks of rumor and speculation to the contrary, the Dodgers and 26-year-old two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, 2016 NL Rookie of the Year, 2020 NLCS MVP, and 2020 World Series MVP Corey Seager have agreed to a one-year/$13.75 million contract for 2021, thereby avoiding arbitration.
Much like All-Star outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger, who agreed to an arbitration-avoiding one-year/$16.1 million contract only hours earlier, the chances that either will finish the 2021 campaign without signing a long-term (and very lucrative) contract extension to prevent hitting the free-agent market seems like a bit of a reach. That being said, Bellinger doesn’t become a free agent until the end of the 2023 season and Seager at the end of this season.
However – and this is a huge ‘however’ – neither will come any cheaper (so to speak) than right this second. As such, it is difficult – if not impossible – to believe that both will not at least be offered long-term (and very lucrative) contract extensions at some point this season, especially with super-agent Scott Boras representing both of them.
Worth noting, 24-year-old Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias also avoided arbitration on Friday, agreeing to a one-year/$3.6 million deal.
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