Rangers plan to evaluate shortstop trade market Corey Seager during general managers’ meetings in Las Vegas, according to reports from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
This is a notable development, but not exactly shocking. Seager was part of some trade rumors around the deadline a few months ago. He ultimately stayed put, but it’s not a shock to see the Rangers return to that possibility. The club appears to have limited financial flexibility while having big commitments to Seager, Jacob of Grom, Nathan Eovaldi And Brandon Nimmo.
Taking one or more of these contracts off the books could give the club more maneuverability in the offseason. With Seager in particular, there is added incentive to pursue a trade because Texas could have an internal replacement ready to go. Sébastien Walcott is a consensus among the league’s top 15 prospects. Inner elbow surgery in February slowed him down in 2026, but he returned to the lineup in July and hit well at the Double-A level. He reached the Triple-A level for two games in September. A league debut in 2027 is entirely possible.
It would be risky for a club to simply hand the shortstop job to a prospect with no major league experience, especially if he turns 21 in March. However, given the aforementioned salary restrictions, the Rangers face imperfect options in all directions. It makes sense to see what’s out there for Seager. If they find a deal they like, they open up the spot for Walcott. They would also have Ezequiel Durán as a potential placeholder if Walcott doesn’t appear ready by the end of spring training. They could address the bullpen and/or center field in the Seager trade or after opening up additional payroll space.
But Seager trading comes with all kinds of complications. He now has full no-trade rights as a 10 and 5 guy, meaning he has at least ten years of big league service and at least five consecutive years with his current team. It’s unclear how much he wants to be traded. Although he is open to change, he would probably be more willing to join some clubs than others.
There is also his contract, his age and his health problems. Seager is still due to receive $31 million per year over the next five years, for a total of $155 million. He will be 33 in April. Even in his younger years, he was known for his frequent absences due to injury. One or two stints on the injured list are generally expected for him each year. In his five years with the Rangers, he only dominated 123 games played in a season once. In 2026, he played in 102 games, with two stints on the IL for lower back inflammation and one for a concussion. He underwent surgery in October to remove a bone spur from his right elbow.
These are all things that work against the Rangers, even if there are some things that work in their favor. For one thing, the market is short on shortstops. Free agency doesn’t really provide a suitable day-to-day option. J.P. Crawford And Mauricio Dubon are out there, but it’s debatable whether they actually count as viable everyday shortstops and they certainly don’t have the upside that Seager does. The commercial market theoretically features names like Zach Neto And Jeremy Pena but we don’t know if these players are actually available. Even if they are, their respective clubs would be looking for huge potential returns.
There’s also the fact that Seager continues to perform very well on the field. His 2026 season was arguably his worst as a Ranger, but it still wasn’t that bad. He hit 20 home runs and drew walks at a rate of 10.3%. His .227/.312/.424 line leads to a 106 wRC+, putting him 6% above the league average even though his .254 batting average on balls in play was well below the league average and his career standards. His shortstop defense was rated near average by outs above average and infield run value, while defensive runs saved were six better than average. He was credited by FanGraphs with 2.1 wins above replacement, even in a fairly difficult season.
There are many facets to consider and the Rangers will be pressed for time. Major League Baseball is widely expected to lock out players once the collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of the day, December 1. This lockout will include a freeze on transactions. The 2021-22 lockout lasted until early March. The Rangers have a few weeks to explore the market before things cool down. Even if they find interest from another club, Seager will have to participate in the exchange. Time will tell if they can adapt the pieces in a way that works for them.
Photo courtesy of Jérôme Miron, Imagn Images
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