The Texas Rangers traded Marcus Semien to the New York Mets for Brandon Nimmo this past offseason. It was a surprising move, as Semien and Corey Seager were the leaders of the Rangers’ core. A report from the New York Post suggested the relationship between Semien and Seager had become “toxic”, however. On Monday, beat writer Evan Grant asked Seager about the “toxic” relationship rumors with his former teammate.
“That’s just all speculation. We had a fine relationship,” Seager said. “We both respect each other. We were both professional and we knew how to go about our business and try to accomplish a goal.
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“We did that in ’23. You can’t take that away from us.”
The Rangers did indeed accomplish their goal in 2023, as Texas won the World Series that year. The ball club has failed to replicate their ’23 success in recent seasons, though. While rumors have swirled that Texas made the Semien trade because of the reported tension between the stars, it very well could have been a move to simply change things up after back-to-back up and down seasons.
Rangers Preparing for 2026 Season without Marcus Semien on Roster
Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien (2)© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
(© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
Semien, a three-time All-Star, enjoyed a few big seasons in Texas. He played with the Rangers from 2022-2025, earning two of his three career All-Star selections during that span. He also earned a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award in addition to finishing third in American League MVP voting in 2023.
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As mentioned, Semien helped the Rangers win the World Series in 2023 as well. Overall, Semien had a successful time in Texas.
Nevertheless, it was an unfortunate ending to his Rangers career. Whether the rumors were true or not, they will likely be a storyline whenever he returns to Texas and plays against his former teammate in Seager. Perhaps Seager shutting down the rumors will lead to less discussion about the “toxic” reports, though.
Either way, as Seager said, the fact is that the middle infielders led the ball club to a Fall Classic victory. They accomplished exactly what they wanted to do, and that is indeed something that cannot be taken away from them.
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Marcus Semien’s Mets will travel to Texas to play Corey Seager’s Rangers in a series in late September, with the three games scheduled for September 22 – September 24 at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.