Dodgers lose Max Scherzer to Mets; Corey Seager could be next to leave

As the offseason began with the anticipation of a labour quality erstwhile the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires, Dodgers president of shot operations Andrew Friedman said helium would dainty it arsenic a mean offseason until it wasn’t.

That constituent arrived implicit the weekend.

With the likelihood of a lockout freezing rosters erstwhile the CBA expires connected Wednesday, MLB teams went connected a free-agent buying spree, committing a half-billion dollars successful caller signings. With billionaire Steve Cohen (who astir bought the Dodgers from Frank McCourt successful 2012) putting his checkbook wherever his Twitter relationship is, the New York Mets were the biggest spenders, signing escaped agents Max Scherzer, Eduardo Escobar, Starling Marte and Mark Canha for implicit $250 million.

Scherzer was the biggest expense. He agreed to a three-year, $130 cardinal woody that makes the 37-year-old, three-time Cy Young Award victor the highest-paid subordinate (by yearly mean salary) successful shot history. The Mets had to scope heavy into Cohen’s pockets to outbid the Dodgers, Angels, San Francisco Giants and others.

Blame left-hander Steven Matz for spurning the Mets and angering Cohen, spurring a spending spree that is projected to propulsion the Mets past the Dodgers for the highest payroll successful shot adjacent play — whenever that play mightiness arrive.

More deals are expected connected Cyber Monday arsenic teams effort to bushed the anticipated shutdown by getting players signed and physicals completed successful clip to marque those contracts official. That could mean much occupation for the Dodgers with Corey Seager and Chris Taylor among the astir charismatic escaped agents remaining connected the overheated market.

Like Scherzer, Seager is represented by uber-agent Scott Boras (who besides got Marcus Semien a $175 cardinal woody with the Rangers). Boras is believed to beryllium motivated to find Seager a location earlier the lockout arrives.

That location could beryllium backmost successful Los Angeles with the Dodgers oregon heavy successful the bosom of Texas with the Rangers who person been 2nd lone to the Mets successful their aggressiveness implicit the past fewer days. The Rangers person besides signed right-hander Jon Gray and outfielder Kole Calhoun and are reportedly consenting to support Semien astatine 2nd basal if they tin onshore 1 of the elite free-agent shortstops.

“Seager has evidently meant a large woody to america looking back,” Friedman said precocious connected MLB Network. “And I deliberation we person a beauteous demonstrative way grounds with guys that we cognize good and person been with us. We’ll beryllium assertive to effort to retain.

“That being said, we person a batch of different truly talented players arsenic good and a full payroll to look astatine and manage. He’s a large player. He’s gonna get a large declaration — rightfully truthful — and clip volition archer however it benignant of plays out.”

The Dodgers person positioned themselves to sorb the imaginable nonaccomplishment of Seager. Acquired on with Scherzer successful July, Trea Turner played 2nd basal successful his archetypal 3 months with the Dodgers but could determination backmost to his earthy presumption astatine shortstop with Gavin Lux past the incumbent astatine 2nd base.

The nonaccomplishment of Scherzer, however, volition beryllium much hard to absorb.

In 11 regular-season starts with the Dodgers, Scherzer went 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. In the postseason, however, Scherzer “overcooked my arm” and couldn’t commencement Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves erstwhile the Dodgers were looking to enactment live successful the postseason.

His departure conscionable increases the accent connected the Dodgers’ No. 1 offseason task — rebuilding a starting rotation that dissolved connected them past season.

Free-agent left-hander Andrew Heaney has been the lone summation truthful acold to a radical that includes Walker Buehler, Julio Urias and Tony Gonsolin with Clayton Kershaw a escaped agent, David Price’s relation uncertain and Dustin May’s instrumentality from Tommy John country improbable earlier August.