The Braves have spent the better part of the last half-decade staring at the same problem spot in their lineup, and shortstop remains the biggest one. Mauricio Dubon held things down in 2025, but he’s a free agent now, and the fit is clearer as a super-utility option than as an everyday answer at short.
That leaves Atlanta looking for help, and the free-agent market at the position doesn’t offer much. The trade market is where the real possibilities live, and one of the most interesting names in the mix is Corey Seager.
A deal for Seager would start with a simple idea: Braves receive Corey Seager, $20 million cash.
The Rangers are already expected to shop Seager this offseason, and that tracks given the contract sitting in front of them. He’s owed $155 million over the next five years, and his injury history makes that a tough number for any team to carry. Seager hasn’t played more than 123 games since 2022, and he’s heading into the offseason after minor elbow surgery.
For Texas to move him, the Rangers would almost certainly have to cover a significant part of the money. That’s where Atlanta becomes interesting.
The Braves could offer Spencer Strider’s contract, which has $44 million left over the next two seasons, and also take on the final year of Reynaldo Lopez’s deal, worth $8 million. Add in $20 million in cash, and Seager’s contract gets chopped down enough to make the gamble far more manageable for the Braves.
There’s also the age factor. Seager will be 33 next season, and the odds of him staying at shortstop for the full length of that deal are basically zero.
But that doesn’t necessarily kill the fit in Atlanta. The Braves have some promising shortstop options coming through the farm, and Ozzie Albies is set to hit free agency a year from now.
Seager could handle shortstop for one season, then slide to second base and eventually into a DH role if needed.
The one major obstacle is his full no-trade clause. If Seager doesn’t want to come to Atlanta, the Braves can’t force it, just like what happened with Jacob deGrom at the trade deadline.
In Other News...
Braves Shortstop Search Just Got A Lot More Complicated
The Braves search for a shortstop has already been one of the most closely watched parts of their offseason, and the latest wrinkle only adds to the intrigue. Texas is reportedly open to exploring a Corey Seager trade, which instantly puts one of the biggest names on the market into the conversation for Atlanta, a team that has been weighing how aggressive it wants to be while trying to solve the position for the long term.
Seagers profile is easy to understand, but the path to landing him is anything but simple. His contract is hefty, his injury history gives any suitor pause, and his no-trade clause gives him control over where this goes next. For the Braves, the bigger question is not whether Seager would fit, but how far they would be willing to go to make a deal work, especially with the kind of premium talent other clubs would surely demand in return. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Sale Just Added Another Milestone To His Braves Case
Chris Sales first season in Atlanta gave the Braves exactly what they hoped for when they brought him in: a front-line starter who looked every bit like a Cy Young candidate. He finished with a 2.16 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP and a .215 batting average allowed, putting together one of the strongest pitching seasons in the league and adding another impressive chapter to an already decorated career.
The bigger significance for Atlanta is what came with it. Sale also crossed the 200-strikeout mark for the ninth time in his career, a milestone that underscores just how rare his sustained dominance has been even as his Braves tenure is still in its early stages. For a club that values top-end pitching in October, that kind of season only strengthens the case that Sale can be more than a short-term boost. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Face A Messy Jurickson Profar Decision
Jurickson Profars situation has left the Braves with an uncomfortable roster question before they can even get to the rest of the offseason. The designated hitter is under contract for one more year, but his status is now clouded by a suspension and the reality that he already missed last season because of one, leaving Atlanta to sort through both the baseball and business sides of the decision.
The organization has not yet settled on whether he will be part of the plan going forward, and the uncertainty only adds another layer to a winter that already demands some lineup reshuffling. For now, the Braves are left waiting on clarity while the possibility of moving on from Profar appears to be growing, which would push the club toward addressing a new need in the outfield mix. [Read more 🡒]