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Rangers’ Young: ‘We are not shopping Corey Seager’
by Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb
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Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young thoroughly shot down any notion of his team trading star shortstop Corey Seager this winter.

“We are not shopping Corey Seager. I want to make that very clear,” Young told SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio on Sunday.

Seager’s name has been floated in trade rumors over the last few weeks. The Boston Red Sox, who are searching for infield help, were said to have contacted Texas about the two-time World Series MVP, though it was also reported that those talks ultimately didn’t have much momentum.

The Rangers originally signed Seager to a 10-year, $325-million contract in 2022 alongside fellow middle infielder Marcus Semien. The duo formed the backbone of Texas’ 2023 championship-winning club, but the team hasn’t made the playoffs since. Semien was traded to the New York Mets in November for outfielder Brandon Nimmo in a swap of expensive veteran contracts.

Young acknowledged that he’s received calls from rival executives regarding his star shortstop, which he thinks could have been linked to the surprising trade of Semien. But he insisted that Seager is an entirely different case.

“Corey Seager is a great player, and teams are looking for great players,” Young said.

He added, “What I love is that Corey Seager is a great player for the Texas Rangers. Our goal is to win a championship, and to win a championship, you have to have great players. And so while I understand teams checking in, I think that’s been a little bit overblown. … We call and check in on great players with other teams as well. So, teams are doing their job. I get it. It got out in the media from another market, and I think it got a little more momentum than it deserved.”

Seager has six years and $186 million remaining on his contract. He also holds limited no-trade protection, though it’s unknown how many teams he can block trades to.

The 31-year-old has hit .278/.355/.517 with 117 home runs and 303 RBIs since joining the Rangers while accruing 21 defensive runs saved at shortstop and making three All-Star teams. However, he’s also struggled to stay healthy, playing in over 130 games just once in four seasons with Texas.

A lingering hamstring injury limited Seager to 102 games in 2025. He continued to dominate when healthy, though, posting a .860 OPS with 21 homers across 445 plate appearances.

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via MLB | theScore

https://thescore.com/mlb/news/3427518

— MLB | theScore —
Report: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles finalists for Michael King
by Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb
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Michael King is ready to return to the AL East. The only question now is which division rival wins the bidding.

The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles are the finalists to sign King, a source told Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. It’s unclear how far along negotiations are with any of his suitors, but the right-hander is hoping to choose his next team soon, Abraham reports.

King – one of the top free-agent starters left on the open market – is no stranger to the hyper-competitive AL East, having spent his first five seasons with the Yankees. He originally came up as a reliever before joining New York’s rotation late in 2023, a few months prior to being dealt to the San Diego Padres as part of the Juan Soto blockbuster.

King would add even more power to the Yankees’ rotation behind Max Fried and a healthy Gerrit Cole. He’d allow Cam Schlittler and Luis Gil to slide down to the back of the staff while pushing Will Warren into a swingman role.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, would be a homecoming for King, who grew up in Rhode Island and starred at Boston College. The possibility of returning to New England is of particular interest to King, sources told MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

Whether that interest is fully mutual remains unclear, though, as the Red Sox currently have a full rotation. Boston’s already added one starter this winter in veteran Sonny Gray, and Patrick Sandoval is expected to return after missing 2025 following elbow surgery.

Baltimore continues to be active in its search for starting pitching after its shocking signing of star slugger Pete Alonso on Thursday. King would instantly become the Orioles’ ace and upgrade a staff that ranked among the worst in baseball last year.

The Orioles are said to be chasing multiple other free-agent arms, including Tatsuya Imai, Ranger Suárez, and Framber Valdez.

King put up a 3.10 ERA, 3.65 FIP, and 1.19 WHIP with 277 strikeouts, 89 walks, and one shutout during his two seasons in San Diego. He finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting in 2024.

King rejected the Padres’ qualifying offer in November, meaning San Diego will receive a compensatory draft pick from whichever team signs him.

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via MLB | theScore

https://thescore.com/mlb/news/3427419