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Multiple high-profile MLB teams are reportedly expected to pursue a top shortstop on the free-agent market during the offseason.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants are all expected to be on the hunt for a star shortstop.
Heyman named Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dansby Swanson of the Atlanta Braves, Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox and Carlos Correa of the Minnesota Twins as the top shortstops expected to hit the market and drum up a ton of interest once the 2022 season concludes.
Depending on what happens with the aforementioned shortstops, the Dodgers, Braves, Red Sox and Twins could be players in the shortstop market as well, since they will need replacements if their star shortstops sign elsewhere.
This marks the second consecutive year that shortstop is arguably the most stacked position in free agency, as Correa, Corey Seager, Javier Baez, Trevor Story and Marcus Semien were among the headliners of the 2021 class.
In terms of total value, Seager got the biggest deal at $325 million over 10 years. Baez, Semien and Story also did well for themselves, while Correa settled for a three-year deal with an opt-out clause after this season.
Part of the reason for Correa not landing a big contract was the fact that he waited until after the lockout to sign, which may have impacted his market.
That won’t be an issue this offseason, which is why Turner, Swanson, Bogaerts and Correa are all expected to do well in free agency.
Turner, 29, has spent parts of the past two seasons in L.A. after a trade from the Washington Nationals and is in the midst of a fantastic season that has seen him hit .300 with 20 home runs, 97 RBI, 98 runs scored and 26 stolen bases.
As a two-time All-Star, one-time batting champion and one-time World Series champion with top-end speed, Turner promises to be highly sought after.
The 28-year-old Swanson is enjoying a career year with a .276 average, 22 homers and 92 RBI, and he helped the Braves win the World Series last season.
Bogaerts, who turns 30 on Saturday, is a four-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion during a 10-year career that has been spent entirely in Boston.
With a .309 batting average, Bogaerts is in the hunt for the American League batting titles, which would be the first of his career.
Correa, who is the youngest of the free-agent shortstops after just turning 28 this month, was a two-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion during his time with the Houston Astros, and has played well for the Twins this season, hitting .286 with 21 homers and 61 RBI.
Of the teams rumored to be heavily interested in the free-agent shortstops, the Cardinals are the only surefire playoff team this season, while the Phillies are battling for the final wild-card spot in the NL.
The Giants missed out on the playoffs after winning over 100 games last season, and the Cubs are in the midst of a rebuild.
Any of those teams would receive a huge boost upon signing one of the top shortstops and would perhaps close the gap between themselves and top NL teams like the Dodgers, Braves and New York Mets.
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