Insiders suggest the Texas Rangers might make significant moves this offseason to reduce payroll. That era already began Friday evening when the team non-tendered World Series hero Adolis Garcia and catcher Jonah Heim. The Dallas Morning News went even further on their suggestion: Trade prized shortstop Corey Seager and ace Jacob deGrom.
Elsewhere, Anthony Volpe’s time with the New York Yankees hasn’t been the one either he or the team wished for out of a top prospect.
Since being called up in 2023, the 24-year-old shortstop has failed to produce a single .700 OPS season in the majors. Seager also failed to develop a better sense of patience at the plate, with his walk rate stagnant at under 8%. This has led to a career OBP of under .300, along with a declining base-stealing rate.
New York passed on Seager when he was a free agent in 2021, thanks to Volpe emerging as the successor to Didi Gregorius. This time around, it might make more sense to right what fans saw as a wrong then, and even now.
There is no question that Seager is far and away the better option over Volpe at the shortstop position. In the last three years alone, the 31-year-old All-Star has a .294/.372/.916 slash line with 84 home runs and only 271 strikeouts. While he does not steal bases as often as Volpe, his contact and power numbers make up for that and plenty more.
Plugging in his shortened 2025 season numbers, the 31-year-old would have the highest OPS, OBP, OPS+, and best walk-to-strikeout rate on the Yankees behind Aaron Judge. In addition, Seager’s fielding in 2025 was far better than Volpe’s at shortstop, committing only four errors as opposed to the 24-year-old’s league-leading 19. His 14 runs saved are also light-years better than the current Yankee shortstop, who won the only Gold Glove out of their respective careers.
New York is in desperate need of a consistent, trusted second impact bat in their lineup. While Jazz Chisholm Jr. could fit that bill, he becomes a free agent in 2027 and would likely ask for a large contract. There are also some questions about his loyalty and work ethic to the team that could cloud his future.
Seager’s contract is also a problem for New York, who hold an estimated $260 million payroll for 2026 as of Nov. 21. When piling on his $31 million AAV contract through 2032, their payroll rockets to nearly $300 million, well above the luxury tax threshold. The good news for the Yankees is that, at the moment, Hal Steinbrenner has not imposed a cap on the payroll. That’s good considering the team makes a lot of money and doesn’t even spend half of it on payroll.
Volpe was supposed to be the next Derek Jeter for the team after a promising minor-league career. Unfortunately, whether it’s the pressure from the lights or just declining athleticism, it’s not panning out. Even his attributes that would keep him around for just one year are starting to fade.
As mentioned previously, Volpe won a gold glove award in 2023, despite having a relatively mediocre performance at the position. In fact, the 24-year-old is one of the more error-prone shortstops in the league. In three years, Volpe has 52 errors in 1,646 chances for a .973 fielding efficiency percentage. His range is falling apart, and he’s getting so flustered that fundamentals are going out of the window.
It’s leaving a gaping hole in the lineup next to Ryan McMahon’s lack of offensive production.
There’s also a decline in his baserunning abilities. Volpe’s not the same baserunner as he was in 2024, seeing drops in attempts and successful steals. At the same time, his caught stealing went to eight, the highest of his career so far. On a more sabermetric note, he created seven outs vs the average over three years on the basepaths.
Perhaps moving him to a smaller market to take pressure off of him to perform could save his career. Volpe is still a very young player with a high level of potential, but his mentality is clearly fraying at the edges in the Bronx. If Seager were to be traded, Volpe would absolutely be going to another team.
Suppose the Yankees do approach Texas to construct a deal for Seager. It’s almost universally expected that Seager’s price tag would be high for a player of his caliber. New York, thankfully, has several prospects they could ship to Arlington in a package.
First, the Rangers need offensive production. They need a catcher, a new outfielder given they just parted with Garcia, and perhaps a designated hitter to replace Joc Pederson. On the flip side, they do need starting pitching, especially with Patrick Corbin and Kumar Rocker struggling to get going. Trade-deadline haul, Merrill Kelly is also a free agent this year.
New York lacks a lot of prospects that have a strong bat. Spencer Jones would be the absolute best candidate to go in a trade, given he’s a right fielder and packs immense power. Jones slashed .274/.362/.933 across Double and Triple-A, hitting a whopping 35 home runs but still netting 179 strikeouts.
The Yankees likely won’t move George Lombard Jr., so a major-league player would be on the table. Ben Rice and Chisholm Jr. are two names New York could move given their value, with Rice showcasing great potential. Jasson Dominguez could also move in a trade if the Yankees are certain to lock Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker. Volpe might be moved, but not to Texas.
Pitching is where the team thrives in development. Seven out of their ten top prospects are pitchers. If they want to give up the least number of players, Carlos Lagrane and Elmer Rodriguez would be the best options to bring the cost down. Henry Lalane, Chase Hampton, Bryce Cunningham, and Ben Hess could also move. If Texas wants pitching now for Seager, Luis Gil and Will Warren could be a part of the trade.
This could be a trade the Yankees must make this offseason, regardless of payroll, if he becomes available. There were several offensive issues throughout the season for the team, especially at shortstop. Seager would bring a second, dependable offensive bat to offer some protection to Judge in the lineup.
With Lombard Jr. coming up soon, it could also be the same old song where the Yankees pass in favor of the cheaper, younger option. Given that the team still cannot win the World Series and is in a 16-year drought, major changes have to be made.
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