NEW YORK — The Yankees have a chance to revisit a blockbuster Corey Seager move that never materialized earlier this year. This time, the circumstances in Texas may provide a different opening.
The Yankees enter the offseason after another abrupt playoff exit, with questions about whether its infield can deliver enough offense against elite pitching. For the Yankees, finding another established run producer alongside Aaron Judge remains a potential path to changing the lineup.
The Rangers, meanwhile, are trying to build a contender without a significant payroll increase. That creates an unusual pressure point involving one of their biggest contracts, and Seager the Yankees have already discussed acquiring.
Those discussions did not result in a deal before the 2026 season. A renewed opportunity now depends less on whether New York likes the player than on how much financial flexibility Texas is prepared to create.
Texas payroll creates another opening
Seager, the two-time World Series MVP who has five seasons remaining on his 10-year, $325 million contract. The Rangers are expected to search for trade partners for Seager and ace Jacob deGrom, with Nathan Eovaldi also a possible candidate, according to a November report discussing Texas’ payroll constraints.
The Yankees previously held trade discussions with the Rangers about Seager before the 2026 season. Their earlier interest gives the latest speculation more substance than a simple projection of where a star might fit. There is no confirmed new agreement or active negotiation between the clubs.
Texas finished 80-82 and missed the postseason for a third consecutive year after winning the 2023 World Series. President of baseball operations Chris Young expects a 2027 payroll close to the approximately $193 million spent in 2026, leaving limited room for upgrades without shifting existing commitments.
The salary burden is concentrated. Seager is scheduled to receive $31.5 million annually from 2027 through 2031, totaling $157.5 million in remaining scheduled salaries. DeGrom and Eovaldi also carry expensive commitments. The Rangers would need to decide how much money, if any, they would include to facilitate a trade.
A championship bat with a more complicated medical file
Seager, 32, hit .227 with 20 home runs, 51 RBIs and a .736 OPS in 102 games during 2026. His batting average and OPS were career lows. He also missed time because of back problems and spent time on the concussion injured list.
He underwent surgery Oct. 6 to remove a bone spur from his right throwing elbow. Texas expects him to recover in time for his normal offseason preparation, but the procedure adds another element for any club evaluating a long-term investment.
The diminished season also obscures his production when healthy. In the final 51 games after returning from the injured list July 31, Seager batted .269 with a .332 on-base percentage, a .472 slugging percentage and 10 home runs.
His October history is a major part of the appeal. Seager helped the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series and led the Rangers to their first title in 2023. In the Rangers’ 2023 postseason run, he hit .303 with six home runs in 17 games.
Why third base could change the Yankees equation
A potential Yankees deal does not necessarily require Seager to replace their shortstop. Third base is another route, with Ryan McMahon coming off a season that has left the position under scrutiny. Seager’s left-handed power could deepen the lineup without forcing New York to give up on every young middle-infield option.
Anthony Volpe and George Lombard Jr. factor into the Yankees’ longer-term infield picture. Adding Seager would create decisions about roles, playing time and whether an incumbent infielder becomes part of a return package.
There is also a less obvious advantage in treating the move as a third-base solution: it would let New York address a lineup weakness without requiring a permanent decision on its young shortstops before spring training. The cost, however, would be committing to a player entering his age-33 season in 2027.
What the Yankees may have to give up for Seager
The prospect cost would hinge on how much of Seager’s $157.5 million remaining salary Texas is willing to pay. Taking on most of the contract could reduce the talent New York must surrender. Asking the Rangers to cover substantial money would likely raise the price.
The Yankees have pitching prospects who could interest Texas. MLB Pipeline ranks Elmer Rodríguez and Carlos Lagrange among their leading young arms, with Ben Hess another potential trade piece. A package built around one of those pitchers and additional depth offers a starting point, not a reported demand.
George Lombard Jr., who made his major league debut in August, and shortstop prospect Dax Kilby would represent a more expensive level of return. Neither club has publicly identified players in a proposed Seager deal. His recent elbow surgery and no-trade rights further complicate any valuation.
Trade approval and money remain the decisive hurdles
The remaining salary raises a second question. If Texas absorbs a meaningful portion of the commitment, the Yankees could be more willing to surrender talent. If the Rangers demand substantial prospects while asking New York to assume nearly the full contract, the Yankees’ calculation changes sharply.
Texas has not announced that Seager will be traded. Young has said the Rangers do not have to move a player merely to cut salary, even as they examine ways to strengthen more than one area of the roster.
The Yankees therefore have a familiar target and a new reason to call. Whether their earlier discussions become a serious 2027 offseason pursuit rests on the Rangers’ asking price, Seager’s health and his willingness to leave Arlington.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
