Yankees Rumors: Carlos Correa Or Corey Seager Could Sign With New York For 2022

Shortstop is at the top of the list of areas the New York Yankees plan to address in the offseason. Luckily for the Yankees, they will have plenty of options to fix that weakness in free agency.

Several All-Star-caliber shortstops will hit the open market after the 2021 World Series. Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, Javy Baez, and Marcus Semien are all unsigned for the 2022 MLB season.

There’s a good chance one of those players will fill the void left by Gleyber Torres, whom the Yankees shifted from shortstop to second base in the latter part of the regular season.

“Bottom line, shortstop is an area of need,” Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said at a press conference announcing that Aaron Boone had been re-signed as the team’s manager. “I think Gleyber is best served at second base.”

Cashman only has one year left on his contract with the Yankees. Unless New York makes significant changes and goes on a deep playoff run, it could be his last season as the team’s GM.

The Yankees are expected to sign one of the aforementioned shortstops, most likely Correa or Seager, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.

There have been rumors for months that the Yankees planned to target Seager. Although the Los Angeles Dodgers star has missed chunks of recent seasons with injuries, the 27-year-old has been incredibly productive with a career .297/.367/.504 slash line. In 95 games this season, Seager posted a .915 OPS with 16 home runs.

Perhaps most appealing is Seager’s playoff resume. Seager won both the 2020 NLCS and 2020 World Series MVP awards. He hit .328/.425/.746 with eight homers in 18 postseason games.

New York’s lineup has failed to come up with big hits time and time again over the last 12 seasons, during which the Yankees have made no World Series appearances. The Boston Red Sox beat the Yankees in the 2021 AL Wild-Card Game.

Correa would be an interesting signing, given the Yankees’ animosity toward the Houston Astros for their cheating scandal. The shortstop was a key part of Houston’s championship team that beat the Yankees in the 2017 ALCS while illegally stealing signs.

New York might quickly forget Correa’s past if he helps bring the Yankees their 28th title. Correa hit .279/.366/.485 with a career-high 26 home runs and 7.2 WAR in the regular season. Through his first nine games of the 2021 playoffs, Correa has a .324 batting average and a .910 OPS.

The Yankees explored the possibility of acquiring Story at this year’s trade deadline. The Colorado Rockies shortstop had a down year, by his standards, hitting a career-low .251.