The New York Yankees were one of a handful of teams to check in on Corey Seager, but it now seems unlikely the Texas Rangers are willing to trade their superstar shortstop.
Rangers general manager Chris Young put any rumors involving the 2023 World Series MVP to bed by vehemently denying Seager’s availability during an interview with MLB Network Radio on Sunday.
The Yankees, along with the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves, reportedly inquired with Young about Seager during last week’s MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando. Young had already denied engaging with teams about Seager last week but has been repeating that just to put the issue to bed.
Seager has been an All-Star three times since the Rangers signed him to a huge 10-year, $325 million contract before the 2022 season. He is coming off a .271/.373/.487 with 21 home runs and 50 RBIs for the Rangers, who went 81-81 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
Chris Young: Corey Seager Trade Rumors Are ‘Overblown’
The Rangers fired Bruce Bochy after the season, and they already traded second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets, which may have indicated the potential for them to close their championship window and begin rebuilding.
Yet, Young, the former Rangers pitcher who also is a Princeton University graduate and Dallas native, squashed that notion.
“While I understand teams checking in, I think thatâs been overblown,â Young said of Seager trade rumors Sunday on MLB Network Radio. âWe are not shopping Corey Seager, we want Corey Seager to help us win our next championship.â
According to Young, the Yankees were only one of the teams who checked in on the 31-year-old, who has six more years at $31 million annually to see about Seager’s availability. Yet, the Semien trade did not open a fire sale, according to Young.
âFor whatever reason, maybe they thought by trading Marcus weâd be open on Corey, thereâs been number of teams called,â Young said. “They characterized Corey as perhaps, if he were a free agent, heâd be the best player free agent on the market right now.â
The Yankees Asking About Corey Seager Is A Good Sign For Worried Fans
There has been a level of front-facing loyalty toward shortstop Anthony Volpe that has been tough for Yankees fans to comprehend. But a potential move for Seager would be a tangible move off that, even though Volpe is likely to miss at least the first month of the 2026 season while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
But aside from that, the Yankees calling about Seager puts to bed the notion that they are looking to get cheap this offseason. Seager may be a two-time World Series MVP, but he has a Giancarlo Stanton-sized contract that could age poorly, and owner Hal Steinbrenner is already on the record calling an annual $300-plus-million pay roll “unsustainable.”
But Brian Cashman’s willingness to engage on such a deal implies Steinbrenner’s words are just talk and that the Yankees are actively working to improve their roster, which of course is very much in win-now mode.
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