The Atlanta Braves are World Series champions and the 2021-22 offseason is officially underway. We've already seen our first notable trade (Tucker Barnhart to the Tigers), free agent signing (Andrew Heaney to the Dodgers), and waiver claim (Wade Miley to the Cubs) of the winter. There's lots more activity to come over the next few months.
Throughout the offseason the CBS Sports MLB scribes will bring you a weekly roundtable breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. In our last roundtable we discussed our favorite moments of the 2021 season. Now to this week's question.
Which shortstop would you rather sign: Carlos Correa or Corey Seager?
R.J. Anderson: Correa. Both are good players whom any team would be fortunate to employ. But Correa is a better defensive shortstop, and the better bet to remain at the position long term. Even if you give Seager the edge offensively (and they're close, numbers-wise), you have to then give Correa the edge from a durability standpoint. I totally understand anyone who wants to hold the sign-stealing scandal against Correa; in a vacuum, though, I think he's the superior player.
Dayn Perry: I'd go Correa, and it's not an especially close call for me. They're similar offensively, but I give Correa a big edge on defense at the critical position of shortstop. Also, they've been trending in opposite directions in terms of health in recent years, and that's to Correa's benefit.
Matt Snyder: I'll join in on the Correa party. While durability was a concern for a while with him, he played 58 of the 60 games in 2020 and then 148 this year before another deep playoff run where he tacked on 14 more starts. Given the way he hit this past season, his immense upside at the plate and how he's continually improved with the glove, he's an elite superstar hitting the market at the exact right time. Even if someone had durability concerns on Correa and liked Seager's bat a bit more -- both understandable -- Seager's durability concerns are much greater. After his first two full seasons (and tossing out 2020), Seager has played in 26, 134 and 95 games, respectively.
Mike Axisa: I'm making it unanimous and saying Correa. They are comparable hitters (i.e. both excellent with big-game chops) and are both only 27, so you're getting peak years with both. Correa is a considerably better defender though, both according to the eye test and the numbers:
- Seager (2017-21): plus-3 Defensive Runs Saved and minus-1 Outs Above Average
- Correa (2017-21): plus-53 Defensive Runs Saved and plus-46 Outs Above Average
Both players will deservedly receive massive contracts, but if I'm spending this huge on a shortstop, I want to make sure I actually get a shortstop. Seager's glove is enough of a question that he could wind up at third base within a year or two, leaving me to again look for a shortstop. They're both excellent players -- you pick one and I'll happily take the other -- but Correa is my pick because of the defense.
