The Atlanta Braves asked about Corey Seager last offseason, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they come calling again — that’s according to Joel Sherman of MLB Network and the New York Post. The report landed two days after Atlanta was eliminated by the Dodgers in the NLDS, and on the same day Texas confirmed that Seager underwent bone spur surgery on his right elbow.
The shortstop wrapped up the 2026 season hitting .227/.312/.736 OPS in just 102 games — the worst line of his Rangers tenure. Meanwhile, Texas heads into this offseason with roughly ~$15 million in payroll flexibility. That combination is what gives this rumor more weight than it had a year ago.
Why This Time Feels Different
Back in December 2025, during the Winter Meetings, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported that both Atlanta and the Yankees had checked in on Seager. Texas didn’t take those conversations anywhere. Now, the landscape has shifted on three fronts:
- Texas missed the postseason and is operating under a tight payroll. Seager’s $31 million salary in 2027 is a heavy lift if the Rangers pivot toward a rebuild or a reset.
- The elbow surgery — confirmed by president of baseball operations Chris Young — clouds his market value, even though MLBTradeRumors notes the procedure isn’t expected to impact his 2027 season.
- Atlanta has a real need. The Braves lost the NLDS 3-1 to the Dodgers without a true frontline shortstop, and their core — Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson and Michael Harris II — still has a competitive window open.
The prior mutual interest is on the record. Texas’s financial pressure is real. Atlanta’s need at shortstop is real. What doesn’t exist yet is any confirmation of active negotiations or any signal that the Rangers are ready to move him.
The Elephant in the Room: His Full No-Trade Clause
Any Seager trade conversation starts and ends in the same place. After completing 10 years of MLB service at the end of the 2026 season, Seager earned a full no-trade clause — meaning nothing happens without his explicit sign-off.
Reports from the 2025-26 winter suggested Atlanta was on the list of teams Seager preferred not to go to, but that information applied to his old limited no-trade clause. Under the full clause, he can veto any destination — or approve Atlanta if he chooses to. His current stance hasn’t been confirmed publicly.
The contract he signed in November 2021 covers 10 years and $325 million with Texas, running through 2031. Moving that paper requires Texas to eat salary, Atlanta to take on a significant chunk, or both — and Seager to say yes.
The Numbers Behind the Name
Seager doesn’t show up in trade conversations by accident. His 2026 Statcast profile tells you why his bat still draws attention even in a down year:
- 436 plate appearances, 20 home runs, 51 RBI
- AVG: .227 | OPS: .736
- xwOBA: .350 — what the quality of his contact says he should be producing
- Average exit velocity: 91.7 mph (89th percentile)
- Barrel rate: 14.8% (95th percentile — elite)
- Hard-hit rate: 48.9% (89th percentile)
- Bat speed: 71.5 mph
- Contact (whiff rate): 6th percentile — one of the weakest in MLB
- Sprint speed: 6th percentile — same story
The underlying contact quality is legitimate. The surface numbers have dipped, and the elbow surgery adds uncertainty. That tension — elite barrel rate, fading slash line, big contract, full no-trade clause — is exactly what makes this one of the more complicated trade scenarios of the offseason.
