You'd think a Texas Rangers team coming off their third straight year of missing the playoffs, and insisting it's eager to get back to playing October baseball, would want to keep Corey Seager — one of the best shortstops in the sport when healthy for over a decade now. But that doesn't appear to be the case, with Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News ($) reporting that the Rangers are going to search for trade partners for Seager, as well as veteran starters Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi.

This doesn't mean Seager is a lock to get traded by any means, but he's certainly available. Here's a look at why that is, and where he might end up.

Why is Corey Seager on the trade block?

It's safe to assume that Seager, deGrom and Eovaldi are available on the trade block because of what GM Chris Young said about the team's aspirations and current payroll. Young made it clear that the Rangers' 2027 payroll will be “very similar” to where it was in 2026, and the team hopes to be “competitive.” Well, Texas went 80-82 with this payroll in a historically bad AL West in 2026, so how can they be competitive with a similar payroll without making a major change?

Of the veteran trio likely to be available, Seager makes the most sense to flip, as he's owed $31.5 million in each of the next five seasons, has well-documented durability concerns and will probably bring the Rangers more in a deal than deGrom and Eovaldi would. The Rangers could flip Seager for assets and then have money to spend to fill gaps on their roster.

With such a hefty contract (and a no-trade clause) to consider, though, only a few teams make sense as potential landing spots for Seager.

Potential landing spots for Corey Seager if traded

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are the team that's been linked to Seager the most, and understandably so. New York has a clear need to add to its lineup, and particularly at third base, where Ryan McMahon really struggled this past season. Moving Seager to the hot corner could help him stay on the field more, and with McMahon and Giancarlo Stanton's money coming off the books after the 2027 campaign, New York has more cash to spend in the future than you might think.

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox ranked in the bottom five in the Majors in home runs last year, so adding Seager, an infielder with five straight 20-home run seasons under his belt (and three 30-home run seasons in that span), would give the lineup a needed boost — whether he'd play at shortstop, second base or third base. Much like the Yankees, the Red Sox have a lot of money coming off their books after the 2027 campaign, with Trevor Story (club option) and Masataka Yoshida set to hit the open market.

Toronto Blue Jays

As much as the Yankees and Red Sox need to add to their respective lineups, the Toronto Blue Jays scored the fewest runs and hit the fewest home runs in the Majors in 2026. They need whatever offensive jolt they can find on the market this offseason, so even though Seager isn't the best defensive fit, making this work should be a priority, especially given how weak the free agency class is.

Los Angeles Dodgers

How cool would this be? Seager won a World Series MVP award with the Los Angeles Dodgers, so him getting to finish out his career in L.A. would be pretty fun. The Dodgers also simply can't be counted out of anything until they say they won't spend money. The long-term money they already have committed might hold them back from seriously pursuing Seager, at least without Texas eating a large chunk of his salary, but the Dodgers have the assets and the need to get a deal done. Their offense really struggled in the postseason, and they can make room for him over Tommy Edman at second base (or move Mookie Betts to the keystone and play Seager at shortstop).

Philadelphia Phillies

In an ideal world, the Philadelphia Phillies would land a star right-handed outfielder (or two), but beggars can't always be choosers. They have options to choose from in free agency (Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki), but if they strike out, Seager could make sense as a pivot. The fit is a bit wonky, and it'd be less than ideal to pair his contract with Trea Turner's, but they have a vacancy in their infield with Alec Bohm a free agent and, given their lack of prospect capital, Seager might have the most upside of the players Philadelphia could realistically trade for.