Why Corey Seager's return to Rangers could serve as trade deadline showcase for other teams - Dallas News

What the report says

The Dallas Morning News reported July 26 that Corey Seager’s push toward returning to the Texas Rangers lineup is intersecting with a complicated trade-deadline question. Seager took batting practice Friday and Sunday in Arlington, was expected to do so again Monday, and could potentially rejoin the club during its Tampa Bay trip. With the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline approaching, Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young has said the team will be “prepared for anything.”

The article, written as analysis by Rangers beat writer Evan Grant, says that “anything” could theoretically include exploring a deal for Seager, even as Texas remains in a playoff race. Grant notes the Rangers have recently found ways to win without relying on Seager’s power, leaning instead on contact hitting, situational offense and the emerging role of Wyatt Langford. The piece frames any trade discussion less as a judgment on Seager’s talent than as a question about roster direction, payroll flexibility and the organization’s changing core.

Key complications include Seager’s contract, health history and trade rights. The Dallas Morning News reported he is owed an average of $31.5 million annually through 2031 and has averaged 119 games per season from ages 28 through 32. The story also says his current limited no-trade clause would become full trade protection after this season under 10-and-5 rights. According to a person familiar with the contract cited by the paper, the Yankees and Red Sox are not on his present blocked list.

The piece emphasizes that a trade would be difficult because Seager, a two-time World Series MVP, could still meaningfully improve Texas’ offense. But the Rangers also have bullpen and catching needs, and Grant suggests the next week may determine whether Seager’s return is about helping Texas now, showing other clubs he is healthy, or both.