Who will play shortstop for the Atlanta Braves next season is a question that will continue to be asked until the answer is clear. With a relatively weak free agent class, many Braves fans are looking at the trade market for potential answers at shortstop. The AL West in particular has a few shortstops that could be of use for Atlanta, with Corey Seager standing out as the big fish among those trade candidates.
The Texas Rangers recently made news by stating they were open to trading some of their stars on big contracts this offseason. Seager is perhaps the biggest name in that group, and with Atlanta's need at shortstop, many are already cooking up their best hypothetical trade. However, the risk in trading for the 32-year-old Seager outweighs the potential reward.
Corey Seager launches a 3-run homer at Dodger Stadium! pic.twitter.com/MncTcjcXtG
— MLB (@MLB) April 11, 2026
Too many red flags exist in Corey Seager's profile for the Braves to pursue a trade this offseason
Seager signed his 10-year, $325 million contract with Texas in December of 2021. He is owed $31.5 million each year through the 2031 season. Trading for a Seager sounds good on paper until you realize you're on the hook for a lot of money and are getting the back end of his career. Seager will be 37 at the end of his contract, and he is already showing signs of decline. Even if Seager didn't have a no-trade clause to consider, the Braves would be best served to look elsewhere.
First, Seager is coming off a career worst 106 wRC+, .320 wOBA, and .736 OPS last season. Seager also underwent minor elbow surgery in October to remove bone spurs in his throwing elbow. So production and health are anything but a sure thing with Seager. In fact, Seager has played at least 125 games in only one season since 2020.
To be fair, Seager still hits the ball extremely hard and draws his fair share of walks. However, Seager was a negative player in Statcast's fielding run value (-1) and baserunning run value (-2) last season. His bat speed was a career low 71.5 mph, and his arm strength continues to grade out in the lower tier of MLB shortstops. Additionally, as one of the slowest players in baseball, sixth percentile sprint speed last season, you really have to wonder how much longer he can stick at shortstop.
Steamer projects Seager to slash .252/.338/.459 with a 123 wRC+ and 3.1 fWAR in 111 games next season. Expecting that level of rebound is totally reasonable, but Seager's contract demands a bit more in terms of production. If the Braves wanted to assume all of this financial risk, why not just extend Ronald Acuña Jr. instead? Of course, Seager on the Braves would not be a bad thing for the 2027 season, but Alex Anthopoulos doesn't have the luxury of only looking at the immediate future.
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