Rangers insider fuels trade rumors with latest Corey Seager conspiracy theory

The assumption was that the Texas Rangers were ramping up Corey Seager's rehab to slide him back into the 3-hole so he could contribute to a playoff push. Now, Rangers insider and beat writer Evan Grant isn't so sure. And this is something we've mentioned as a possibility since Seager went down on the IL for the third time this season.

Grant is floating the speculation that the team may be getting Seager healthy to showcase him in the final few games before the trade deadline for potential buyers. He makes a strong argument, and it would make a lot of sense to see what they could get for the two-time World Series MVP.

Rangers could be hyping up Corey Seager's health to showcase him for a trade

Grant is not exactly breaking news with the notion that the Rangers may want to deal Seager even as they remain buyers at the trade deadline. The front office and fanbase have grown weary of the shortstop's health issues as he plays in his age-32 season.

There is also the very real underlying feeling that this team and its identity have moved on from Seager as the face of the organization with the recent emergence of 24-year-old Wyatt Langford. Without Seager for most of the 2026 season, the team has found a new, scrappier version of itself that doesn't particularly lend itself to Seager's all-or-nothing style.

Then there's the elephant in the room hanging over the team like a dark cloud. Seager is halfway through a 10-year $325 million deal. The Rangers are still on the hook for $155 million of that. Unloading a portion of that to another team would give the Rangers all kinds of flexibility not only at this year's deadline, but for several years to come.

Ray Davis and Chris Young have to be drooling over the possibilities that an extra $75-100 million in cap space could do for the organization's overall financial health. They could get either the right-handed reliever they need or a big-name catcher to fill the vacancy made by injuries to Danny Jansen and Kyle Higashioka. And they have seen this season that the Rangers are competitive without the five-time All-Star.

There's also the impending 10-5 no-trade clause that Seager will have if he completes this season as a Ranger. Right now, he can veto a trade to eight MLB teams, but a full no-trade would make dealing him that much more difficult for Young.

The reasons for making a deal are numerous, but Seager, when healthy, is clearly one of the most talented players in the league who could potentially get right and be an ostensible major trade deadline acquisition for the final 50 games. The question is still the same, however: can you really trust Seager to be available for an extended period of time? And selling him at an all-time low is not optimal either.

It's a tough call that could reshape the future of the team not only this season, but for the foreseeable future. We'll find out soon enough which direction the organization wants to go.

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