In what suddenly looms as a tantalizing opportunity for the Mets, Corey Seager apparently can be had in a trade with the Texas Rangers. If so, David Stearns should be first in line to make it happen.
Yes, Seager is an All-Star shortstop, same as Francisco Lindor. But he could easily slide to third base, where he’d be an above-average defender, and more significantly, give the Mets another elite hitter who could take their offense to a championship level.
If they re-sign Pete Alonso as well, that is.
Consider the idea of…Lindor, Juan Soto, Alonso, and Seager? Now that’s a Big Four, one to match the firepower of any lineup in baseball, including the big, bad Dodgers.
With such a move, suddenly all the talk about the need to change the Mets’ core could be dismissed, especially with high-ceiling prospects Jett Williams and Carson Benge expected to force their way to the big leagues at some point during the 2026 season.
In fact, if Williams proves to be the leadoff hitter that scouts project, with his high walk totals and noted plate discipline, he would lengthen the lineup and allow Brandon Nimmo to slot in at the No. 6 spot, or perhaps even lower, where he’d have plenty of value.
I’d also make the case that with Seager on board, the Mets could live with Tyrone Taylor as their primary center fielder until Benge is ready.
Likewise, Jeff McNeil could stay at second base as a placeholder for Williams, while Brett Baty could transition to playing first base in partnership with Alonso. After Baty proved more athletic than expected at both third and second base, there’s no reason to think he couldn’t be an above-average first baseman as the Mets ease Alonso into a part-time DH role.
With all of that in mind, re-signing Alonso and trading for Seager obviously would solve a lot of potential problems for the Mets.
They’d still have to upgrade the starting pitching, of course, and re-sign Edwin Diaz as well if they’re serious about winning it all in 2026, but Steve Cohen’s billions and the Mets’ highly-ranked farm system give Stearns plenty of ammunition on that front.
As for Seager, the lefty hitter who turns 32 in April, he’s only available because the Rangers are trying to shed payroll, according to the Dallas Morning News, and he has six years and $189 million remaining on his contract.
"That’s the most obvious move to make if they’re under orders to cut payroll," one team executive told me. "I’m sure they wouldn’t want to trade him otherwise. He’s a star player but if Texas needs to get out from under his contract, the price to get him won’t be prohibitive for a team willing to take on all the money."
That might appeal to the Yankees as well, as he could replace Anthony Volpe at shortstop. But if re-signing Cody Bellinger is their top priority, it’s hard to see Hal Steinbrenner also taking on Seager’s contract.
In any case, the Mets should seize the opportunity here, presuming they’re not one of the eight teams on Seager’s no-trade list. And since the Dallas Morning News reported that neither the Yankees nor the Boston Red Sox were on that list, the Mets wouldn’t figure to be, either (although the Atlanta Braves are reportedly on the list, so it remains to be seen).
Seager has consistently put up big offensive numbers and he’s a two-time World Series MVP, with the Dodgers in 2020 and the Rangers in 2023, which says something about his ability to deliver on the big stage.
The one knock on him is he has missed considerable time due to injury in recent years. Last season, Seager played only 102 games, missing a few weeks due to a hamstring pull and then all of September due to an emergency appendectomy.
Still, he’s worth the gamble because, as a high-average hitter with power, Seager could be the ideal bat to add consistency to a Mets’ offense that has been maddeningly inconsistent in recent years.
His career slash line of .289/.362/.509/.871 reflects that consistency, and last season his .860 OPS was the highest among all shortstops, though he didn’t have enough at-bats to qualify for official stats. His 151 OPS+ number was among the best in baseball.
Seager’s underlying numbers have been consistently elite as well. Last year, according to Baseball Savant, he ranked in the 90th percentile or higher among all major league hitters in hard-hit percentage, average exit velocity, and expected batting average, on-base, and slugging.
“He puts up superstar numbers,” one scout said. “He probably wouldn’t be thrilled at the idea of changing positions if the Mets were to get him, but they could make the case that playing third would be a little easier on his legs, which could matter for a guy who has had his share of injuries. And he’s probably going to have to move to third at some point anyway as he gets deeper into his 30s.
“He’d be a finishing piece for the Mets. You add Seager to what they already have, assuming they work out a deal with Alonso, and that lineup would be a nightmare for pitchers.”
What would it take to get him? If the Rangers do need to trade Seager for financial reasons, the Mets probably could put together a package without including the likes of Williams, Benge, Brandon Sproat, or Jonah Tong.
“They have enough depth in their farm system to give them that kind of leverage,” the scout said.
And that’s significant because they might well need to move a couple of those top-of-the-system prospects for starting pitching, whether it’s the dream trade for Tarik Skubal or a deal for the likes of Joe Ryan, Freddy Peralta, or Sandy Alcantara.
After all, acquiring front-of-the-rotation pitching has to be the priority of the Mets’ offseason. But they have the resources and the need to take advantage of other opportunities as well, which is why they should make every effort to go get Seager.
