Agent: Marcus Semien's 'pure value in the industry is north of $100 million'

The Oakland Athletics didn't extend a qualifying offer to shortstop Marcus Semien, making him a free agent. 

Although he had a down year in 2020, that didn't stop his agent from putting a hefty price tag on the 30-year-old. 

"We haven't seen a premier free-agent shortstop anywhere near Marcus' age or skill level for a very long time," Joel Wolfe told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. "We've always viewed Marcus as a $100-million-plus player. His pure value in the industry is north of $100 million."

Semien finished third in American League MVP voting in 2019, but he didn't even come close to putting up similar numbers in 2020. The longtime A's shortstop averaged .223 at the plate with 23 RBI and seven home runs in 53 games. 

While a majority of teams will be cautious with how they spend their money this season due to complications from the coronavirus pandemic, Semien's agent believes his client will be among the players to receive a deal worth more than $80 million. 

Multiple teams already have checked in on Semien, according to his agent, but many might wait until the 2021 offseason to pursue a shortstop. Francisco Lindor, Trevor Story, Javier Baez, Carlos Correa and Corey Seager could all be available after the 2021 campaign, and each could likely bring more to the table than a 30-year-old Semien.