The New York Yankees experienced a brutal loss in the ALDS to the Toronto Blue Jays and now need to take the offseason to address some glaring issues. One of those issues is shortstop, where they had some of the worst production in the MLB.
However, a big trade to upgrade at the position could solve this. Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells believes the Yankees could go out and get five-time All-Star and two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager.
“Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner is reportedly looking to get their payroll under $300 million in 2026. Even with Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer, they are only projected to have $259.3 million in salary commitments when factoring in arbitration-eligible players. Seager would be a transformative addition to their lineup with both his glove and bat. He accounted for 4.0 fWAR in just 102 games with the Rangers last season. His 16 defensive runs saved were the second-most among all shortstops, even though he was the only player in the top seven who played fewer than 950 innings in the field,” Wells wrote.
This past season, Seager slashed.271/.373/.487/.860 with 19 doubles, 21 home runs, and 50 RBI in 102 games played. Those numbers would also definitely get juiced by playing half his season in Yankee Stadium, where he could abuse the Short Porch as a lefty.
At the moment, the Yankees have Anthony Volpe at shortstop, but with him recovering from labrum surgery until at least late April, they have Jose Caballero at the position. Either way, Seager is far better than either current shortstop and brings something valuable: championship experience.
If the Yankees are smart, they’ll start negotiations with the Texas Rangers as soon as they can. Otherwise, the payroll-cutting Rangers will start listening to offers from other contenders.
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