Toughest Contract Decision Facing the Texas Rangers This Winter

Seager remains one of Texas’ most accomplished players, but his declining production, age and contract could force the Rangers to think about the future.

Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young. Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

The Texas Rangers are set to embark on an offseason full of question marks.

There is no word on what their financial situation will be going into 2027. Unique to other teams, the most important contract decision the Rangers must make is for someone with team control.

In the 2025-2026 offseason, there were rumors that the Rangers were open to moving Corey Seager's contract, and those rumors are going to become more prevalent this offseason with his age and his production falling in 2026.

Seager is still a really solid player, especially as a defender and one of the big power threats in the Rangers lineup. But it's time for president of baseball operations Chris Young and his team to start thinking about the future — and whether Seager still fits in it?

Why Should the Rangers Trade Seager?

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was a down season for Seager in 2026, who batted .227 with 20 home runs and a .736 OPS. Those are still solid numbers, but they are far from the numbers he was putting up in the early days in the contract, and the injuries that Seager has suffered in recent seasons have not helped.

Here is the thing for the Rangers: they can't afford a contract that is underwater going forward. He will cost them $31 million for each of the next five seasons. The Rangers simply don't have the financial freedom to spend enough to cover that spot up on the diamond. That does not mean the Rangers can afford to give Seager away for nothing. They can get a lot back for him, but they will need to take some money back.

It could look similar to the Giancarlo Stanton trade to New York. The Marlins took back Starlin Castro in exchange for the Yankees paying down most of the contract, until the final two seasons, where the Marlins are paying down $10 million. It's not a small amount of money that Miami is paying down, but it's more than what is actual contract is, and would allow for flexibility to spend in other spots.

Obviously the greater the prospect the Rangers want in return, the more money they will need to pay down. They are also in a position where the Rangers don't absolutely need to move Seager, but it's something they really should do.

Another factor that needs to be considered is that Seager now has 10-5 rights. With 10 years of service time and five years with the Rangers, he can veto any trade. Tat will limit who the Rangers could made a deal with and could handicap them.