New York Yankees may be targeting Corey Seager in free agency

It is no secret that the New York Yankees plan on upgrading at shortstop during the offseason. General manager Brian Cashman called the position an area of need, saying that they have every intention of addressing short during the offseason. Considering the options that should be available in free agency, this is certainly the time to do so.

It is expected that the Yankees will be looking to re-establish themselves as The Evil Empire this offseason, spending the money needed to fix the holes on their roster. In fact, in an appearance on the Michael Kay Show, Jeff Passan said that not only does he expect the Yankees to land Corey Seager, but that they will spend over $300 million to do so.

Corey Seager would be immediate upgrade for New York Yankees

There was a time when it seemed that Gleyber Torres would be the future of the position in New York. He showed the potential to be a power hitting threat at short, a solid all around hitter who could at least be passable defensively. However, his bat disappeared over the past two seasons, leaving the Yankees to decide that not only did they need an upgrade, but that Torres would be heading to second.

Seager would certainly be that upgrade. He produced an impressive 145 OPS+ with 16 homers and 22 doubles in his 409 plate appearances this season. He has also been a solid defensive shortstop during his career as well, saving 23 runs at the position. There is no question that he would be an immediate upgrade.

However, Seager is not a given. He has battled injuries throughout his career, with just three seasons where he has appeared in over 100 games. His rookie campaign in 2016 and the pandemic shortened 2020 season are the only times that he has been healthy throughout the year. As the Yankees already have several injury concerns on their roster, Seager could be a bit of a question mark.

But this is a gamble that the Yankees may need to take. If healthy, Seager could be considered the best shortstop in the game. If they are going to continue to contend in what is becoming an increasingly difficult division, they will need to add players such as Seager to improve their roster.

According to Jeff Passan, the New York Yankees are the favorites to land Corey Seager. He may be a gamble, but it is one they need to take.