Rangers' Corey Seager finally addresses reported tension with Mets' Marcus Semien

From a pure baseball standpoint, it made sense for the Texas Rangers to trade second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Due to his strong defense, Semien has still been a valuable player despite regressing offensively since winning the World Series in 2023. But the Rangers' main issue last season was a lack of offensive production, ranking 26th in OPS (.683) across Major League Baseball. Texas had the best ERA (3.47) in MLB and won the American League Team Gold Glove Award, yet still missed the postseason with an 81-81 record. Adding Nimmo, who has posted an OPS+ above 100 in every season since 2017, should put the Rangers in a better spot to return to the playoffs, even with the loss of Semien.

However, about two months ago on Bleacher Report Live, The New York Post's Jon Heyman shed a different light on the Rangers' decision to make the blockbuster trade, saying Texas made the deal in large part due to "tension" between Semien and star shortstop Corey Seager.

Rangers star shortstop Corey Seager finally speaks about reported "tension" with new Mets infielder Marcus Semien

Seager, 31, finally addressed the situation when The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant asked the shortstop about it on Monday.

Seager didn't exactly deny that there was tension between himself and Semien, 35. Seager's response to Grant basically indicated that the two middle infielders were never close despite being the stars of the first Rangers team to win the World Series.

It's surely an interesting topic. But now that Seager has been asked about it, and he responded, it's time to put the topic to rest. Unless Semien is asked about the situation and gives a negative response, nothing more should come of it. Both players are now on different teams, and they both seem like people who don't hold grudges. Seager said they both have respect for each other, and there is no reason to believe otherwise.

Even if both players don't like each other, which clearly isn't the case, Rangers fans have no reason to be upset with them. Both players played key roles in getting Texas its first World Series title in franchise history. Seager finished No. 2 in 2023 AL MVP voting, and Semien finished No. 3. Then, Seager won the World Series MVP while Semien put the deciding Game 5 of the Fall Classic on ice with a two-run homer in the ninth inning, giving the Rangers a 5-0 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks.