he Texas Rangers were always comfortable living with long-term risk when they handed Corey Seager a 10-year contract before the 2022 season. That deal delivered exactly what it was supposed to early on, anchoring a championship core and helping carry the franchise to its first World Series title. But as Bleacher Report outlined in its breakdown of future MLB contract headaches, the back half of Seager’s deal is shaping up to be far more complicated.
Bleacher Report’s analysis isn’t centered on luxury-tax math or roster sentiment. It focuses strictly on cash owed beginning in 2028 and how age, position, and durability intersect once the guaranteed money becomes harder to justify. In that framework, Seager landed firmly among the contracts that could become uncomfortable—not because he’s declining yet, but because history isn’t kind to shortstops in their mid-30s.
Corey Seager’s Health Remains The Central Concern
By the time the 2028 season arrives, Seager will be entering his age-34 campaign with four years and $124 million remaining on his contract. That alone wouldn’t be alarming if durability weren’t already part of his profile. Over the past three seasons, Seager has missed significant time each year, reinforcing the idea that some form of injury absence is no longer an exception—it’s an expectation.
Bleacher Report’s skepticism stems from a simple question: how often do injury-prone shortstops suddenly become durable in their mid-30s? Historically, the answer is almost never. Even elite defenders and bat-first shortstops tend to fall off quickly once mobility declines or lower-body injuries begin to stack.
Seager has proven he can still produce when he’s on the field. He posted an OPS north of .850 in the games he played last season, and his left-handed swing remains one of the most dangerous in the league. The problem for the Rangers is availability. Paying $31 million per year for 110–120 games of production becomes far harder to absorb once the roster around him needs reinforcements.
A Position Change May Delay—Not Eliminate—The Risk
The Rangers do have a potential contingency plan that Bleacher Report acknowledged. Seager does not need to remain a shortstop for the life of his contract. With top prospect Sebastian Walcott looming as a possible future option on the left side of the infield, the Rangers could eventually slide Seager into a designated hitter role or a reduced defensive workload.
That move could extend his offensive usefulness, but it also introduces new complications. A full-time DH spot occupied by Seager limits lineup flexibility and puts additional pressure on the rest of the roster to supply defensive value. It also assumes Seager’s bat will age well enough to justify the salary without any positional value, an outcome injuries can quickly undermine by disrupting his timing or power.
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