The Texas Rangers are trying to figure out how to move Corey Seager’s contract, and the New York Yankees look like the cleanest fit on paper. But there’s another path with New York that could leave Texas in a better spot: trading Josh Jung instead.
That possibility starts with a simple problem for the Yankees. Third base is a mess.
Ryan McMahon, their current option there, has seen his defense slip while his production at the plate has cratered. Seager makes sense because he could slide over to third and patch the hole.
Jung, though, might be an even better answer for what New York needs.
For the Rangers, the bigger issue is leverage. If Texas is mainly trying to unload Seager for financial reasons, the Yankees can squeeze them for more and more concessions the more salary the Rangers are willing to absorb.
And this wouldn’t be a straightforward deal, either. Seager has a full no-trade clause through his 10-5 rights, which means he could ask for something extra - like an extension added to the end of his deal - before agreeing to waive it.
If New York gives in on that front, Texas would likely end up paying the price.
Even then, the return on a Seager trade isn’t exactly clean. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News floated a package of left-handed starter Ryan Weathers, infielder Anthony Volpe, and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton heading to Arlington.
That’s a workable framework, but it comes with baggage. Stanton would be a bigger injury risk than Seager, would crowd the DH spot if he’s healthy, and would still cost the Rangers $25 million between his 2027 salary and the buyout on his 2028 option. Add in a projected $3.1 million for Weathers in arbitration and $4 million for Volpe, and the short-term savings for Texas aren’t all that dramatic.
Volpe also doesn’t really solve a problem the Rangers have. He could be viewed as a change-of-scenery candidate, maybe even an option at second base or a stopgap at shortstop until Sebastian Walcott is ready, but he’s been a weak hitter for years and can be uneven defensively. He doesn’t move the needle much.
Weathers brings a different kind of value. He’s a good pitcher when he’s on the mound, but health has been the issue.
He made 25 starts and threw 137 1/3 innings, both career highs. Before 2026, he had never reached more than 94 2/3 innings in a season.
That matters because Texas has to think about its rotation beyond the immediate future. Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi are both on the trade block, and even if they stay, they’ll join MacKenzie Gore in free agency next winter.
The Rangers do not want to be staring at the need to replace three-fifths of their rotation all at once. Weathers, who is under control through 2028, would help for a while, but only temporarily.
Jung changes the equation. He’s cheaper, he has two years of team control left, and that gives Texas more leverage in talks. His .299/.365/.462 line also gives the Yankees the kind of contact bat they’ve been looking for to balance a lineup built on power and strikeouts.
If the Rangers go that route, they could push for right-hander Will Warren in return. Warren may not have quite the stuff Weathers does, but he’s durable and posted a 3.92 ERA across 156 innings, which puts him squarely in the mid-rotation category. He’s controlled through 2030 and doesn’t reach arbitration until next season, so he’d help both now and down the road.
There’s also a financial angle that makes the Jung route more appealing than it might first appear. Jung is projected to make $5.2 million in arbitration, which would save Texas about $4 million in the deal. That’s not far off from the savings the Rangers would get in 2027 by moving Seager in the Stanton-Weathers-Volpe structure.
And while Seager still has four years left on his contract after 2027, that doesn’t automatically make the Jung trade the lesser move. Once Warren’s value is folded in, especially compared with what Texas would have to spend to replace a starter on the open market, the gap shrinks. The Rangers could also try to get the Yankees to include a prospect as a sweetener.
There’s one more wrinkle: keeping Seager in Arlington for another year could give Texas another shot at this next offseason. If he stays healthier and more consistent in 2027, the Rangers might be able to revisit the market with a more valuable trade chip.
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