After the way the Texas Rangers’ season ended, it’s easy to look at Corey Seager and see a problem. The first half was rough, the injured list swallowed three separate chunks of his year, and then he disappeared at the exact moment Texas needed him most. That’s enough to wear down any fan base.
But if the Rangers are stuck staring at five years and $155 million left on Seager’s deal, they can at least take some comfort in one simple fact: it is not Trea Turner’s contract.
The Philadelphia Phillies were bounced by the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Series, and Turner was right in the middle of the mess. He went 1-for-11 in the series and had some shaky moments in the field, then followed that with a blunt admission after the loss.
“Me. It’s that simple.”
Trea Turner was asked why the offensive production was down this year for the Phillies
“I think this year is the biggest question mark for me offensively in a long time. I’ve got a lot of work to do. “ pic.twitter.com/QU8RmIDfAW
- John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) October 2, 2026
Turner’s bat had already been trending the wrong way long before the postseason. He finished the season at .245/.297/.378, and the struggles clearly weighed on him.
After the Phillies were eliminated, he said, “I think this year is the biggest question mark for me offensively in a long time. I’ve got a lot of work to do."
That’s a lot more direct than Seager’s tone after Texas missed the playoffs for a third straight season. Seager tried to keep it upbeat, saying, “Obviously it’s not where you want to be, but just proud of this team and how they fought towards the end, and all year.
We got through a lot of things. We never gave up on each other.
I was just proud of the fight,” Seager said, sounding incredibly tone deaf in the process.
The contrast matters because both players had disappointing years, but their levels of usefulness are not the same. Seager still flashed the kind of production that made Texas hand him a 10-year, $325 million deal in the first place. From his activation from the IL on July 31 through September 19, he hit .297/.364/.497.
Turner never found that kind of stretch, and the glove only made things worse. His -17 defensive runs saved were the worst among qualified shortstops in MLB by a country mile.
His -8 outs above average were second from the bottom. Seager didn’t qualify because of the missed time, but he still finished with 6 defensive runs saved and one outs above average, which was clearly better than Turner’s work.
That gap matters even more when you look at the money and the control attached to each contract. Seager now has full veto power because he’s completed his fifth season in a Rangers uniform and has 10 years of major league experience. He also has a limited no-trade clause that converts into a full no-trade clause.
Turner has that same kind of no-trade protection, but the deal itself is uglier. He still has seven years and $190 million left, and that kind of contract is the sort nobody wants to touch. Even if Philadelphia starts thinking about a rebuild after another short playoff run, the veteran core around him would draw far more interest than Turner would.
There’s still a case for Seager. He remains an elite hitter, his bad back likely played a role in the ugly first half, and his defense is still dependable.
The health concerns are real, but he’s not some dead-end player. In the right situation, with money adjusted and the destination approved, Texas might even be able to move him.
That would not be easy, and it would not bring back a perfect return. Still, it beats being trapped with a contract that runs all the way to age 40.
For the Rangers, that’s the takeaway. Seager is frustrating.
Turner is worse.
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Chris Young is looking at a Rangers roster that has lost its way a bit after three straight postseason misses, and the next fix may not be a comfortable one. Texas already knows it needs more balance, with a starting center fielder and a first baseman high on the list, while the pitching plan also points toward bringing back veteran arms to help steady young starters Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker.
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Chris Young said the front office has to correct that in the 2027 offseason by adding players who can actually push for starting jobs, not just fill out the depth chart. For a team that wants to avoid another season of thin margins and limited fallback plans, the lesson is clear: better depth is not a luxury, it is part of the baseline for building a more resilient roster. [Read more 🡒]