Corey Seager’s latest injury has pushed the Rangers into a tough conversation, and it’s one that gets more serious by the day: if he’s healthy enough to move, Texas should trade him before the deadline.
That sounds backward for a team that looks like it will be buying, but the case is pretty clear. The Rangers have managed just fine without Seager in 2026, and his season hasn’t given them much reason to cling to the status quo.
He has appeared in only 51 of a possible 89 games, and in those outings he’s posted a 1.0 bWAR with a .182/.292/.374 slash line. You could even make the argument that Texas is hanging around first in the AL West despite Seager, not because of him.
That’s why this feels like the moment to explore a move. If the Rangers want to restock the minors or bring in help at the deadline, Seager is the kind of name that could make that happen.
But the timing matters. Next year, he becomes a 10-5 eligible player, and that changes everything.
Right now, Seager has a partial no-trade clause that lets him block a deal to eight teams. If he finishes this season in Texas, he’ll cross into 10-5 status, which means he would have to approve any trade the Rangers try to make. That would make life a lot harder for Chris Young and the front office if they want to move on from the oft-injured shortstop.
The contract is part of the problem too. Seager is in the middle of a 10-year, $325 million deal that pays him $31.5 million a year through 2031. Combine that with the injuries and the rough 2026 production, and it’s easy to see why a trade would be complicated.
Still, there could be a market. Shortstop-needy clubs won’t have a ton to choose from, and some teams have both the need and the money to take a swing on Seager getting back to the level that made him a five-time All-Star and the 2023 World Series hero.
The Rangers have until August 3 to work a deal with 21 other clubs. After that, any trade would have to go through Seager and his agent, Scott Boras, and that’s a hurdle Texas may not want to face. The clock is ticking, and if the Rangers decide to move him, they need to do it soon.
In Other News...
These 3 Rangers May Be Less Untouchable Than Fans Think
The Rangers trade-deadline picture is getting more complicated than a simple buyers-or-sellers label, and three names keep surfacing in the conversation. Kumar Rocker, Josh Smith and Corey Seager all sit in very different spots on the roster, but each has enough uncertainty around him to make rival clubs wonder whether Texas might listen if the right offer comes along before Aug. 3.
Rockers early run as a starter has not quite matched the raw stuff that made him such an intriguing arm, while Smiths value is tied more to his versatility than to any clear everyday role. Seager is the biggest name of the group, and his situation is shaped by the kind of long-term considerations front offices always weigh carefully, especially when a players trade protection can change if a deal is not made in time. [Read more 🡒]
Former Rangers Coach Named His Only Two Untouchables
Bret Boones recent comments on 105.3 The FAN offered a different kind of deadline lens on the Rangers, one shaped less by front-office calculus than by how he sees the rosters core. The former Texas hitting coach singled out Wyatt Langford as the kind of young, controllable player teams usually build around, pointing to the offensive ceiling and defensive flexibility that make him such a valuable long-term piece.
Boones other choice was a more surprising one, especially for a club that could hear plenty of calls on pitching depth as the deadline approaches. He made the case for Jacob Latz as a pitcher he would keep off the table, citing the way he has handled relief work and even closing duties, which gives the Rangers a useful arm with a role that can still grow. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Deadline Reality Just Got A Lot More Uncomfortable
Sitting at .500 and clinging to the final American League wild card spot, the Rangers have reached the point where every front-office move feels heavier than it should in late July. They are only a game and a half out in the division race, but the margin for error is thin enough that the deadline conversation has turned less into a simple buy-or-sell question and more into a test of how much the organization is willing, and able, to spend for a push.
The problem is that Texas does not have an easy answer on either side of the market. The farm system has already taken real hits in recent deal-making, and injuries to key players have made the current roster harder to evaluate as a true contender. Even the sell-off path is messy, with limited movable pieces and contract situations that do not create much obvious value, which is why the Rangers are staring at one of the more uncomfortable deadlines in the league. [Read more 🡒]