Red Sox Get Harsh, But Expected Update On Corey Seager's Availability

The thought that Corey Seager could somehow be traded was enough to get any Boston Red Sox fan excited.

Boston has been pledging to go after impact bats, and Seager is about as proven and decorated as any conceivably available player could possibly be. Sure, Trevor Story is already at shortstop in Boston, but he'd welcome a move to second base to bring in a five-time All-Star, wouldn't he?

Last week, Tim Healey and Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported that the Red Sox had discussed Seager in potential trades with the Texas Rangers, who have made it known that one of their goals is to lower payroll. But that last part is a far cry from saying publicly that Seager is on the trade block.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Rangers president shuts down Seager trade speculation

During an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM this weekend, Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said fairly unequivocally that there would be no Seager trade this offseason, pouring cold water on a lot of Red Sox fans' daydreams.

"Maybe they thought by trading Marcus (Semien) that we would be open on Corey," Young said. "There have been a number of teams who have called, and some of the teams have characterized Corey as, perhaps, if he were a free agent, would be the best player on the free-agent market right now.

"What I love is that Corey Seager is a great player for the Texas Rangers, and our goal right now is to win a championship. ... And so while I understand teams checking in, I think that's been a little bit overblown in terms of, we are not shopping Corey Seager. We want Corey Seager to help us win our next championship. ... I want to make that very clear."

Do all front office executives do exactly what they've said they'll do in front of a microphone? No, but Young went out of his way to avoid qualifying statements. Seager is also under contract for six more seasons, and there's no urgency to move him while he's still in his prime at 31.

Can the Red Sox still have a successful offseason elsewhere? Absolutely. But Seager is a tantalizing pipe dream whose production would likely add up to that of multiple free agents. The fact that the Red Sox called is no surprise, because who wouldn't want such an impactful player?

More MLB: Where Red Sox, Royals Stand On Potential Jarren Duran Blockbuster