Dodgers issue qualifying offer to Corey Seager, per report

The Los Angeles Dodgers have issued an $18.4 million qualifying offer to talented shortstop Corey Seager, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

As Heyman alludes to in his tweet, it was essentially a foregone conclusion that Seager would be issued the qualifying offer. Just like many other recipients of the offer, he is expected to decline it.

By issuing the qualifying offer to Seager, Los Angeles gets the opportunity to either bring him back for another season or receive compensation if he departs in free agency. You can learn more about the picks that would be awarded to the Dodgers here.

Just 27 years old, Seager is in a great position to receive a long-term contract offer this offseason. Drafted by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2012 draft, Seager was named the Rookie of the Year back in 2016. He has also been named a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, and three-time MVP vote-getter.

Seager appeared in 95 games this past season, slashing an impressive .306/.394/.521 with 16 home runs, 57 RBI, an 11.7 percent walk rate, a 16.1 percent strikeout rate, and a .336 BABIP. His 6.31 fWAR/162 represented the third-highest mark of his career.

The Dodgers are more than willing to spend big money on free agents, and the fact that Seager is a home-grown star likely adds to Los Angeles’ motivation to re-sign him. However, they can’t just be handing out blank checks left and right, especially when the player in question could be one of the hottest names on the open market.

In the end, Los Angeles and Seager will continue to exchange figures, but the Dodgers aren’t alone in their pursuit of the seven-year MLB veteran.