Cincinnati Reds could land Corey Seager if Mookie Betts trade dissolves

The Los Angeles Dodgers deal for Mookie Betts may fall apart. If that happens, a scenario exists in which the Cincinnati Reds could land Corey Seager.

A few days ago, it was reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox had pulled off a blockbuster deal that would sent All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts to Hollywood. The Minnesota Twins, who were also part of that deal, appear to be waffling and may squash the deal all together. If that occurs, a scenario exists in which the Cincinnati Reds could trade for Corey Seager.

According to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Boston, after examining Brusdar Graterol‘s medical history, expressed concerns that the right-hander’s long-term role would be as a reliever and not a starter. Graterol was a key piece in the negotiations, and a player the Red Sox would add to their roster along with Dodgers outfielder Alex Verdugo.

The Twins role in the blockbuster trade would have allowed the Red Sox to send Betts, pitcher David Price and cash to Los Angeles in exchange for Verdugo. Kenta Maeda would’ve found a home in Minnesota, and Graterol would have ended up in Beantown. Now, it’s anyone’s guess as to what may happen.

So where does Cincinnati fit in all of this? Well, it was reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic shortly after the signing of Nick Castellanos, that the Reds, Dodgers and Cleveland Indians were in discussions of what would’ve been a mega deal involving Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager and prospects.

The trade would’ve sent Lindor to Los Angeles, Seager to Cincinnati and several prospects to Cleveland. While the Indians have staunchly denied their intentions to trade their All-Star shortstop, Cleveland has sold off a ton of assets over the past two seasons.

If the deal for Mookie Betts falls through, does that re-open the door for that proposed three-way trade? One could argue that Betts and Lindor provide a similar impact. Plus, Lindor has an additional year of team control. Both he and Seager don’t become free agents until after the 2021 season, while Betts’ deal is up after the upcoming season.

Rosenthal mentioned in his piece that Cincinnati would prefer Seager to Lindor in order to control costs. While some fans have lobbied all offseason for the Reds to trade for Lindor, the 25-year-old will earn $17.5M in 2020 and then receive a hefty raise next year. Seager would only cost about $7.5M this coming season, with one more year of arbitration next winter.

Who knows how the Mookie Betts drama will play out. Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that the deal between Minnesota, Los Angeles and Boston is not dead, but that the Twins seek a resolution by today.

While the Dodgers deal for Mookie Betts may still be alive, it appears as though it’s on life support. While the Cincinnati Reds seem content to begin the season with Freddy Galvis at shortstop, there’s no denying the impact of adding Corey Seager. It would put the Reds into the NL Central driver’s seat and make them a top team for the National League pennant.