The Texas Rangers may be sitting in the thick of the AL West race, but there’s another deadline looming that could matter even more than the standings: August 3, 2026.
That date is shaping up as the Rangers’ last real chance to trade Corey Seager without needing his approval. According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the 2026 MLB trade deadline is basically “last call” if Texas ever decides to move its shortstop.
“When it comes to the possibility of the Texas Rangers trading shortstop Corey Seager, the deadline represents something of a last call,” Sammon and Rosenthal write.
The reason is Seager’s no-trade protection. Once the season is over, he’ll be able to block any deal as a player with 10 years of major-league service and five straight with the same club.
Seager has been in Texas since the 2022 season, and the Rangers have gotten plenty out of him. He’s made three All-Star teams, helped deliver a World Series title, and stacked up big numbers along the way, including an .854 OPS, 23.3 bWAR and 127 home runs with the club. He also finished as the MVP runner-up in 2023.
That track record is part of why his name has surfaced in trade talk before. It’s also why, if the Rangers ever seriously want to move him, this summer is the cleanest window to do it.
Seager is signed through the 2031 season on a 10-year, $325 million contract, which is a massive commitment for any team to absorb. Still, a club like the Atlanta Braves could be willing to take it on if Texas sets the price high enough.
The key point is simple: once the 2026 season ends, the Rangers lose the ability to move Seager without his say-so. If he’s still on the roster after the deadline, he’s probably staying put in Texas for a while.
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Seagers season has not helped quiet the speculation, with his offense lagging and his name now tied to the injured list as well. For Boston, the appeal is obvious if the Rangers ever decide to engage, but the real question is whether this is just loose summer noise or the start of something more serious as Texas tries to steady itself in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Rangers, the appeal is obvious enough, but so is the complication. Adding another catcher would only deepen a logjam that already includes Elias Daz and Danny Jansen, and Jansens $8 million salary next year makes the roster math even trickier if Texas keeps adding to the position. The front office has plenty to sort through before the deadline, and this is the kind of move that could force a decision it would rather avoid. [Read more 🡒]