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Marcus Semien hurt by similar players in free agency

By David Hill

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Marcus Semien #10 of the Oakland Athletics fields ground ball to out Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros at first during the fourth inning in Game Two of the American League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 06, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Marcus Semien #10 of the Oakland Athletics fields ground ball to out Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros at first during the fourth inning in Game Two of the American League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 06, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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There has been little movement in the shortstop market. Aside from the signing of Ha-Seong Kim, and the trades of Jose Iglesias and Francisco Lindor, virtually nothing has happened at the position. As few teams have an opening at short, free agents such as Marcus Semien have had little movement in their market.

Given that there are so few openings at short, it is not a surprise that Semien, and other free agent shortstops, have had so little opportunity. While there has been interest in the A’s shortstop at other positions, those rumors have yet to truly blossom into anything beyond speculation.

Marcus Semien hurt by similar players

There are other factors in play aside from a lack of openings at short. Semien is also in a market with Didi Gregorius and Andrelton Simmons. Although each player excels at a different facet of the game, they are considered to be so similar as an overall package that teams do not want to set the market.

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Semien’s production is also a question. He has been a solid overall player, providing some power and speed throughout his career. He also had a career year in 2019 that catapulted him into MVP consideration, but was unable to build upon that showing last year. Teams have to wonder whether he can replicate that success at any point going forward, or if he will be a slightly below average bat.

In the end, Semien’s potential defensive versatility could give him the advantage when it comes to being signed. He has experience at second and third, which has intrigued other teams this offseason. As Gregorius and Simmons have almost exclusively appeared at short in the majors, Semien could end up becoming the next shortstop off the board.

This could affect the A’s plans as well. Oakland has been vocal about their desire to bring Semien back, and having so few teams in need of a shortstop would seemingly help that quest. However, it is difficult to imagine that the A’s would be willing to set that market given their financial limitations.

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Marcus Semien and other shortstops are running into the same problem. They are considered so similar that no one wants to be the