The Texas Rangers have missed the postseason every year since winning the 2023 World Series and may need to reduce payroll before constructing another competitive roster.

Nearly half of their current payroll belongs to Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. All three are aging assets who have not fully justified their contracts, potentially forcing Texas to accept a difficult reality.

Evan Grant from The Dallas Morning News reported that the Rangers will search for trade partners for Seager and deGrom, with Eovaldi possibly available as well.

Grant explained that Texas has few alternatives because three aging players account for $92 million of a projected $190 million player payroll, leaving insufficient flexibility to build a competitive team around them.

“The Rangers are going to search for trade partners for Corey Seager and Jacob deGrom. Perhaps Nathan Eovaldi, too,” Grant wrote. “There simply is no other way. You can’t put together a competitive team with $190 million in player salaries with three aging players eating up $92 million of that.”

Seager still possesses exceptional power for a shortstop but performed poorly in 2026.

After five seasons with Texas, he endured his least productive offensive campaign with the team, hitting a career-low .227 with 20 home runs, 51 RBIs and a .736 OPS in 102 games.

The 32-year-old has earned 10-and-5 rights after completing 10 MLB seasons and five with Texas. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, those rights give him a full no-trade clause, meaning Seager must approve any deal.

He will turn 33 soon, and 2026 may have simply been a down year. Seager underwent right elbow surgery in October and should be healthy when the season begins. His elbow may have contributed to his struggles.

deGrom is a two-time Cy Young Award winner and five-time All-Star who remains regarded as one of the finest pitchers of his generation despite a lengthy injury history.

He made 30 starts last year and 31 in 2026. deGrom earned an All-Star selection in 2025 after posting a 2.97 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 172.2 innings. He finished 2026 with a 4.20 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 162.2 innings.

deGrom was especially ineffective during his final two starts, precisely when the Rangers needed him most while battling the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West.

He went 0-2 with a 12.22 ERA and 2.47 WHIP in 8.1 innings, allowing 11 runs with seven strikeouts and seven walks.

Eovaldi has spent four seasons with Texas but is coming off his worst with the Rangers.

He went 11-10 with a 4.20 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 145.2 innings over 27 appearances (23 starts), recording 142 strikeouts against 71 walks.

Seager, deGrom and Eovaldi remain under team control beyond next season and could attract trade interest, although their salaries and recent performances will affect what Texas can receive in return.

Seager still provides the type of power that is difficult to find at shortstop, and an interested team could believe his right elbow contributed to his down season. With surgery completed, he has a chance to return healthy and recover offensively.

deGrom’s two Cy Young Awards and five All-Star selections establish his ceiling, while making at least 30 starts in consecutive seasons shows he has recently remained available despite his lengthy injury history.

Eovaldi offers another experienced rotation option who has handled a substantial workload and important games. His increased walk total creates concern, but teams searching for dependable innings could still view him as a meaningful addition.