Seven possible destinations for Marcus Semien

Name: Marcus semien
Position: Second base / shortstop
Previous Equipment:
Tiles
Age (for the Day Inaugural 2022): 31
2021 numbers: .265 / .334 / .538, 45 HRs, 102 RBIs, 15 stolen bases

Semien struggled to find a long-term deal in last year’s free market, so the infielder gambled on his talent and signed for a season and $ 18 million to defend the Blue Jays’ middleweight.

That bet could pay off for Semien, who set a major league record in 2021 with the most homers in a season for a second baseman at 45.

Now, Semien is returning to free agency for the second year in a row. However, he will be tied to compensation in the amateur draft, assuming the Blue Jays offer him the qualifying offer. Semien is a year younger than DJ LeMaheiu was when he agreed to six years and $ 90 million to continue with the Yankees before the 2021 campaign.

Although Semien defended second base primarily with Toronto in 2021, he has played short stops in 796 of his 1,022 career games, ranking as part of this year’s talented free agent shortstop class.

But, although Trevor Story, Corey Seager and the Puerto Rican Javier Báez had certain problems in 2021, Semien – who played all 162 games – joins the Puerto Rican Carlos Correa as those who looked best in the most recent season.

Toronto tried unsuccessfully to agree to an extension with Semien during the season. While the Blue Jays would love to retain him for 2022 and beyond, the club must also try to sign left-hander Robbie Ray or find a way to fill that void in the rotation. Given their depth in the lineup, Toronto is likely to prioritize pitching.

After trading Nick Madrigal to the Cubs last summer, the White Sox return to the market in search of a long-term second baseman. Maybe it’s Semien, who was chosen by them in the amateur draft in 2008 and 2011 and played two years with the club before being traded to the Athletics in December 2014 by Jeff Samardzija. Chicago already has more than $ 140 committed on the payroll, assuming they exercise the Kimbrel option, so adding Semien would be tricky.

It seems likely that Trevor Story is leaving Colorado. But someone has to defend shortstop, right? New general manager Bill Schmidt has just $ 46 million committed on the payroll for 2022 and 2023. The team appears to be in the midst of rebuilding, but a major acquisition or two would excite his fans.

Detroit has roster flexibility and needs a shortstop, a position in which the Tigers saw a combined .595 OPS production, ranking 29th out of 30 teams in 2021. Manager AJ Hinch took an important step last season. with the team, but adding some elite talent in free agency could help in his bid to upset the White Sox in the AL Central.

Carlos Correa is part of the talented free agent shortstop class this winter. If the Astros can’t keep him, they could be looking for another impact shortstop. Semien is four years older than the Puerto Rican, so he could receive a shorter-term offer than the Astros star. If Houston falls short of Correa’s requests, Semien could be a solid alternative.

At 31, Semien is unlikely to get the deal that other members of the free-agent shortstop class hope for, making him an interesting candidate to serve as a bridge in Chicago, until the Cubs’ prospects arrive. (Dominican Cristian Hernández, No. 3, and Ed Howard, No. 7). Neither is close to the majors, but Semien has shown his ability to defend a quality middleweight. So if any of the youngsters move up fast, the veteran could be moved.

The Mariners could be satisfied with their 2020 Golden Glove JP Crawford at shortstop, but with Kyle Seager in free agency, Seattle could move Abraham Toro to third base, freeing up second base. Semien could be an ideal candidate for the job, with the Mariners looking for a power bat in the infield to replace Seager.

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Seven possible destinations for Marcus Semien