Why Rangers Should — And Should Not

ARLINGTON — Corey Seager sat in front of reporters on Sunday talking about his rehab as he tries to come back from his second back injury of the season.

The frustration was as clear as the sweat on his face after his workout. He is not having the season he envisioned. He is not having the season the Rangers envisioned.

The 32-year-old is in the worst slump of his career and the constant back and forth to the injured list isn't helping. He’s slashed .182/.292/.374 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI.

With five more years left on his deal and injuries issues the last four seasons, it leads one to wonder if it’s time for Texas to try and move him the way it moved Marcus Semien in the offseason.

That won’t be easy. Seager would be sought after but harder to move, especially under the current circumstances.

But with seven days left to the trade deadline, and a tendency for teams to overpay for players based on past production, dealing Seager can't be completely dismissed.

Like any good president of baseball operations Chris Young needs to explore all his options. He's probably the kind of guy that has a pro/con list. Well, if he's thinking about trading Seager, here are the reasons to do it and the reasons not to do it.

Why Rangers Should Trade Corey Seager

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager swings his bat at a baseball during a game. — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trading Seeger would get the Rangers out of the remaining five years of his deal, which has more than $150 million left on it. The Rangers may have to pay some of that down to make a deal, but getting the bulk of the deal off the books would give them enormous flexibility this offseason — assuming there is an offseason to make moves. Even with his injuries, he’s still a highly coveted player.

That injury history, plus his age — he’s 32 years old — is now concerning. That’s something the Rangers must think about. For a player like Seager, when he signs a 10-year deal the team knows it’s paying more for the front end of the career than the back end. Well, the Rangers got what they wanted out of the front end — a World Series title with Seager as MVP.

It’s also hard not to see that Ezequiel Duran is a better defensive option at shortstop. Not offensive, but defensive. Judging him strictly by fielding percentage at shortstop he is .993 with one error this season. This season Seager is .979 with four errors. He’s been better — he led all AL shortstop with a .983 fielding percentage in 2024 — but Duran is getting to baseballs Seager hasn’t. Moving Seager allows them to get better defensively, though how the Rangers handle the loss of his offense is a big question.

Why Rangers Should Not Trade Corey Seager

Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young speaks during a news conference. — Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young. | USA TODAY Sports

He’s only 32 years old. That's not old by baseball standards. He has potentially five productive years ahead of him. Before this season he hit at least 20 home runs in each of his first four seasons with Texas, including 30 home runs or more in his first three. He nearly won a batting title in 2023. He has a lifetime slash of .284/.359/.504. His regimented hitting routine allows him to — normally — get out of slumps faster. There’s a track record there that is hard to ignore and it leads one to believe that one year is the aberration and not the trend.

What is the return on Seager right now? One could argue this isn’t the right time to try and move him because he’s on the injured list and teams could attempt to fleece the Rangers by giving up less than he’s worth. His value may not be as high as it was in 2023, but he’s not the type of player you get a couple of prospects for in return. Texas may be better off waiting until next year and bank on Seager having a much better year before entertaining a deal.

Third, aside from Wyatt Langford, who can give the Rangers his level of offense? No one except perhaps Josh Jung. At least not year-to-year, and that’s what the Rangers are paying for — his bat and year-to-year consistency. In his first four seasons with Texas, he slashed .278/.355/.517 with 117 home runs and 303 RBI. Numbers like that shouldn’t be ignored when there are few other players on the team that can do that.

It’s Young’s call but it’s not an enviable one. The realities of this season are hard to ignore. So is Seager’s track record. It’s likely he stays put, but don’t be surprised if rumors swirl, especially if he comes off the injured list this week and puts together a couple of big games right before the deadline on Aug. 3.

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