The Los Angeles Dodgers have been linked to Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Trea Turner in free agency thus far, but appear unlikely to make a splash at shortstop for a variety of reasons.
Turner is no longer an option after signing an 11-year, $300 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, and there’s some belief Bogaerts and the Boston Red Sox are working toward reaching a deal.
That would leave Correa, arguably the most talented of the free-agent shortstops, but he and the Dodgers share history that stems from the Houston Astros electronically stealing signs en route to winning the 2017 World Series.
Correa and the Astros have drawn the ire of Dodgers fans since the cheating scandal was revealed, and that hostility has led to the team not looking to sign the 28-year-old, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
The Dodgers are not pursuing shortstop Carlos Correa in part out of concern that a sizable portion of their fan base would not welcome the move.
Prior reports suggested the Dodgers signing Correa was a “long shot,” and that the front office held some reservations over possible backlash from fans. But both of those stopped short of saying the Dodgers were not involved in the Correa sweepstakes.
It’s worth noting only Austin Barnes, Clayton Kershaw and Chris Taylor remain from the Dodgers roster that lost to Correa and the Astros in the World Series. Justin Turner would be another holdover from that team if he’s re-signed.
Correa’s defiant stance in the face of criticism from the Dodgers focused on Cody Bellinger, who was non-tendered and has since signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.
Are the Dodgers against signing Carlos Correa?
Agent Scott Boras recently dismissed the tension between Correa and Dodgers fans as being reason enough to prevent a signing, and manager Dave Roberts didn’t deem that to be a hurdle when discussing the possibility during MLB’s Winter Meetings in San Diego.
“Carlos is a heck of a ballplayer. I don’t know that answer,” Roberts answered when asked if the clubhouse and Dodgers fans would accept Correa. “What I do know is that we’re about winning baseball games. Our fanbase is about winning baseball games. That’s all I’m going to say about that one.”
Roberts added organization has not discussed possible fallout that would come with signing Correa. “We have not talked about the potential narrative. No, we have not,” Roberts said.
More must-reads: