*Photo from Sports Illustrated*
Did you think that Marcus Semien would be the only top tier infielder that the Texas Rangers would bring in this offseason? You are mistaken. The Rangers and SS Corey Seager have agreed to a 10 year, $325 million deal, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The Rangers have confirmed the deal.
The contract does not include any opt outs, so Seager will be here all 13 years unless he gets traded or DFA'd. He does get a limited no trade clause, which is trade protection to some degree. He also gets a $5 million signing bonus. He also has experience at the Rangers home park, winning 2020 NLCS and World Series MVP honors, both of which were played at Globe Life Field. He hit .328 with a 1.171 OPS as a whole that postseason.
The Seager deal is another monster contract given by the Rangers, who have now spent over half a billion dollars so far in free agency. With Seager, Semien, and Jon Gray aboard for the foreseeable future, they are giving their young players veteran leadership and talent to succeed, and they are giving the veterans the young prospects needed to compliment their games.
Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said "We're not looking to solve one player to be the finishing piece. But we're looking for players that can be part of helping to turn this around and really launch us to where we want to go and also that can help our young players develop as they get up here."
Last season, his 7th in a Dodger uniform, Seager hit for a .306 batting average and posted a .915 OPS, slugging .521 while mashing 16 home runs and driving in 57 runs, playing in 95 games for the Dodgers, mostly missing time due to injury. In 12 playoff games last season, Seager hit two home runs and drove in 6 runs in 48 at bats.
Across 7 seasons with the Dodgers and in the big leagues, Seager has two all star game appearances and a .297 batting average with a .870 OPS, hitting 104 home runs and driving in 364 runs, playing in 636 regular season games. In 61 career playoff games, Seager has a .236 average and a .459 slugging percentage, hitting 13 home runs and winning one World Series title, in the short 2020 season.
Already in the Rangers organization are some connections Seager has had while with the Dodgers. Manager Chris Woodward, recently extended through the 2023 season, was the Dodgers 3rd base coach from 2016 to 2018, prior to taking the Rangers managerial position. New Rangers hitting coach Tim Hyers was also the Dodgers assistant hitting coach in 2016 and 2017, both seasons had Seager in the all star game.
Seager and Semien alone represent immediate offense upgrades for a Rangers squad that was dead last in the AL West with a 60 win season in 2021. It does create a bit of a logjam in the infield, as incumbent SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa will have to play either 3rd or first base, and top 3B prospect Josh Jung is poised to make the opening day roster. But too many serviceable infielders is a good problem for the Rangers to have, after having not enough in recent years.
In Texas, Seager will immediately become the starting shortstop, with Semien handling second base. Kiner-Falefa will bounce between 3rd and first, if he doesn't get traded, like there are rumors of. As for the Dodgers, they will recover, with Trea Turner to take over shortstop with Seager gone, and Gavin Lux likely to start at second base.
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