With the trade of Gold Glover and cornerstone Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo in November, Rangers brass showed that they were serious and prepared to move on following the 2023 championship season.
But are the Rangers really done moving on from that year’s World Series roster that remains?
The only thing that came out of the this week’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, as far as the Rangers are concerned, is that Corey Seager appears to be untouchable. Even as teams like the Red Sox, Yankees and Braves have been bugging the Rangers regarding the two-time World Series MVP.
Seager will always be remembered for his home run, which was the shot heard around North Texas and beyond. “I guess we’ll never know!” will be part of the lexicon of DFW sports fans in perpetuity.
But if the organization is truly committed to putting the best product possible on the field in 2026 while also tapering spending, then they should be listening to each and every trade proposal that comes their way and listening earnestly.
Seager’s massive contract, injury history and market value all make him very tradeable
Let’s address the elephant in the room right away. In Seager’s last three seasons in Arlington, he has never played more than 123 regular season games and hasn’t had 500 plate appearances in the last three seasons.
In 2025, the now 31-year-old shortstop only managed 380 at-bats and had his least productive season in Texas. It is essentially a given that he will require at least two stints on the IL per year and will be limited for portions of the time he is playing.
Combine that with the astronomical amount of money they would be able to apply elsewhere with the six years still left on Seager’s 10-year, $325 million contract and he looks like he should be the most valuable bargaining chip the team has.
With big-market teams and a bevy of trade assets at the major and minor league level showing interest in a swap, Young and General Manager Ross Fenstermaker shouldn’t be slamming the door in their faces but welcoming them to the table with a loaded charcuterie board and a bucket of ice-cold Shiner Bock.
If the Rangers are serious about cutting payroll and turning the page into the Skip Schumaker era, then they must be open to trading a fan-favorite, as painful as it may be to the base in the short-term.