Rangers need fast start to 2026 or Corey Seager trade rumors could become a reality

No matter how many times president of baseball operations Chris Young and the Rangers brass maintain that they are not interested in trading All-Star shortstop Corey Seager, teams continue to get in line to see just how serious they are about it.

Big market teams like the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, and New York Yankees are just three of the teams that have inquired about the slugger's availability.

A slow start for Seager could get the 2026 season off on the wrong foot for a couple of reasons

If Seager were to struggle to begin the season, it would be bad for the obvious reason that it would likely mean the Rangers aren't scoring a lot of runs and would quickly remind fans of the offensively challenged lineup from last year.

If for some reason Seager were to get off to a less-than-Corey-like start at the plate, the Rangers should be prepared to field even more phone calls, which could throw a monkey wrench in the team's plans right out of the gate.

The last thing the 2026 version of the Rangers needs to be doing is fending off potential poachers who would love to have arguably the best shortstop in MLB in the middle of their lineup. The focus needs to be on forming an identity and becoming a cohesive unit from the very beginning. The lack of chemistry last season was a big reason the team looked out of sync in 2025.

Teams will try to get Seager at a cheaper price if he starts slowly

MLB executives aren't stupid. They are always looking to buy Grade-A commodities during a dip rather than at a peak. A slow start from Seager would devalue his market price and would make any offer for him far less attractive.

If - and it is still a big if - the Rangers do decide to trade Seager and continue to move on from the 2023 championship core as they did with Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia, the worst thing that could happen is to be shopping him during a slump.

A hot Seager means the Rangers are likely producing runs at a good clip and would make other teams think twice about the package they would have to part with in a deal to counter his talent and the boatload of money remaining on his 10-year $325 million deal with six years still left on it.