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Corey Seager trade makes sense for Blue Jays if Rangers take back a bad contract

Toronto could pull off a massive contract swap with Texas as it loops to shed salary
ByBen Wrixon
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Sep 15, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) throws to first base during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Sep 15, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) throws to first base during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texas Rangers appear set to undergo major changes after another disappointing season, and this could create a trade opportunity for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Shortstop Corey Seager is one of several aging Rangers making big money, along with pitchers Jacob DeGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. Seager’s contract is the biggest of them all, however, making him the logical place to start if the front office wants to shed salary. 

While Seager was an injury-riddled mess in 2026, the Blue Jays should nonetheless pick up the phone and make a call—especially if they could send one of their bad contracts to Texas in a potential deal. 

Seager hit 20 home runs in 2026, but his .227/.312/.424 slash line was the worst of his career by a wide margin. Injuries limited him to 102 games for the second straight year. 

Few players in baseball have dealt with more injuries than Seager has over the course of his career. The 32-year-old has reached the 150 game plateau only once since 2017, and has averaged just 119 games since joining the Rangers five years ago. 

This spotty health resume becomes increasingly concerning when considering Seager is owed $31.5 million annually through 2031. How many games can he realistically be expected to play over the next five years as he ages into his late 30s? 

So far, this all amounts to a compelling case as to why the Blue Jays should stay far away from Seager. The reason they still should want him, however, is that he’s still really good when he is on the field and acquiring him would probably mean dumping a bad contract of their own. 

Seager’s .736 OPS was still good enough for a 112 OPS+ in 2026. He would have been the best hitter on the Blue Jays this past year during the worst season of his career. He was almost 50% better than league average in 2025 by OPS+, and received down-ballot MVP votes as recently as 2024. 

Can the Blue Jays get out of the Anthony Santander deal in a deal with Texas?

His contract is terrifying, but what if the Rangers were willing to accept the roughly $70 million owed to Andrés Giménez over the next three years in return? The short-term luxury tax implications wouldn’t be all that meaningful. Toronto could probably get Texas to kick in some extra money to help with the final years of the deal, too. 

Or what if the Rangers were willing to take on the remainder of Anthony Santander’s contract? The remaining three years on the $92 million pact work out to less money than what is owed to Giménez over the same time. Ridding themselves of that headache in a Seager deal would be a massive win. 

Whether a Seager trade makes sense will ultimately depend on how willing the Rangers are to take a bad contract back in return. If Toronto can acquire a five-time All-Star while freeing itself of a financial mistake of its own, Seager might be a risk worth taking. 

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