Corey Seager Trade Talk: Rangers to Explore Market at GM Meetings

Three years after he led Texas to its first World Series title, Corey Seager could be on the trade market. The Rangers plan to explore dealing their star shortstop at this week’s general managers’ meetings in Las Vegas, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and the Dallas Morning News’ Evan Grant reported Tuesday.

Nothing is close, and a deal would be complicated. Seager has full no-trade protection and about $155 million left on his contract. But the fact that Texas is even listening tells you where the franchise is heading.

Could the Rangers move Corey Seager? It would be difficult — but not impossible. Column, unlocked and free to read. https://t.co/k80ACAdNNP

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 10, 2026

Why the Rangers would shop Corey Seager now

It’s mostly about money. Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young has said the 2027 payroll will look a lot like this year’s, which Rosenthal put at roughly $190 million in cash and $215 million for luxury-tax purposes, Yardbarker reported.

Texas already has big money tied up in Seager, Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Brandon Nimmo. Moving Seager would free up more room than moving either pitcher, Rosenthal noted.

There’s a baseball reason, too. Sebastian Walcott, a consensus top-15 prospect, could be ready to take over at shortstop, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

A rough 2026 season

Seager’s numbers have slipped since that 2023 title run, when he was named World Series MVP after posting a 1.133 OPS with six home runs in the postseason.

This year he played just 102 games and hit .227, FOX Sports noted. He went on the injured list three times, twice with lower back inflammation and once with a concussion, then had surgery in October to clean out a bone spur in his elbow, theScore reported. He hasn’t played more than 123 games in any of the last four seasons.

He finished better than he started. After returning from his second back-related IL stint on July 31, Seager hit .269 with 10 homers and an .804 OPS the rest of the way. He turns 33 in April.

The contract and the no-trade clause

That last line matters most. Seager reached 10 years of service time with five straight seasons in Texas at the end of 2026, which gives him the right to veto any trade. In effect, he controls the process.

To make a deal work, Texas would almost certainly have to pay down some of the money or take back a contract. Rosenthal floated $21 million a year as a hypothetical cost to an acquiring team, though he didn’t report an actual offer. The Rangers have done this before: they sent Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees in 2004 and included $67 million to make it happen.

Who could make sense

Grant has said the list of realistic partners is short, with Boston and Philadelphia among the fits he mentioned. He also stressed that it has to be a real baseball trade for Texas, not just a salary dump.

The shortstop market could help Texas. MLB Trade Rumors pointed out that the free-agent options behind Seager are thin, so a team that misses on its top targets may come calling.

A short window before Dec. 1

Timing is the other obstacle. The collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, and a lockout is widely expected, FOX Sports noted. That leaves only a few weeks for big trades before the offseason could freeze.

The GM meetings run through Thursday, the same week the division-rival Astros are set to name Brad Ausmus as their manager and Tarik Skubal lines up meetings with the Mets and Dodgers. For Seager, one thing won’t change: even if Texas likes an offer, he still has to say yes.

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Sources: MLB Trade Rumors, FOX Sports, theScore, Yardbarker (2), Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report, Ken Rosenthal