Rangers making “big push” for Seager

MLB Rumors: Corey Seager, the Los Angeles Dodgers infielder, is being pursued aggressively by the Texas Rangers, per multiple reports. Jon Heyman says that the Rangers are making a “big push” for the 27 year old lefty slugger.

Seager has been talked about for a while as someone high on the Rangers’ wish list, and he has a close relationship with Rangers manager Chris Woodward, which doesn’t hurt. Seager has missed time with injuries in both 2018 and 2021 — including a torn UCL in 2018 that cost him most of the season and led to the Manny Machado trade — but he has a career .297/.367/.504 slash line, and has averaged 5.4 bWAR per 162 games.

Seager has been a shortstop almost exclusively since coming to the majors, but given his size, there’s been talk that he may be best suited to third base, if not immediately then within the next few years. His bat is seen as being able to play wherever he may end up, however.

Seager is represented by Scott Boras, and once Boras client Max Scherzer — also aggressively pursued by the Dodgers — agreed to terms earlier today, the expectation was that there would be traction on a Seager deal. The sense seems to be that Seager will reach an agreement by the end of the day today — the Dodgers and Rangers appear to be seen as the front-runners, with Texas possibly needing to go to ten years (which would cover Seager’s age 28-37 seasons) to lure Seager away from L.A., although the New York Yankees have also been linked to Seager, and there’s always the possibility that the Mystery Team will make an appearance.

With a lockout expected to kick in once the CBA expires at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1, any major deals that are going to be official before then are expected to need to be agreed to by the end of the day today, to allow ample time for the administering of a physical and the finalizing of the contract language.