Yankees Should Target Corey Seager, but An Astros Slugger Would Be Ideal, Too

There have been some rumblings that the New York Yankees could be interested in Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers. 

There's obviously a lot that would have to be figured out for the Yankees to land Seager, specifically his massive contract, but based on talent, there wouldn't be many better players in baseball for the Yankees to land. 

If we're going down a long list of talented players in this league, Seager is at the top of it. Had it not been for some injuries that he's dealt with throughout his career, there's a strong argument to be made that he's been among the best players in baseball for most of the past decade.

However, those injuries just can't be forgotten about, specifically for the Yankees. Over the past few years, the Yankees have dealt with just as many injuries as any team in baseball, specifically to their top players.

But there are some other questions that have to be answered about the Yankees landing Seager. One of those would be the simple fact that New York needs the Rangers to likely eat some of his $162.5 million remaining on his contract, but he also has a no-trade clause. 

For that reason and more, there's a scenario in which the Yankees could be interested in going after some other players.

“An intriguing option for the Yankees to explore to solve their third-base problem could be Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, whom they were interested in in 2021 when he was a free agent. Texas could trade Seager this offseason to offload payroll. But the veteran has a full no-trade clause and would need to approve any deal, and it’s unknown if he’d consider a position change. He also has five years and $162.5 million left on his contract; the Rangers would likely need to eat salary to facilitate any trade.

“The Yankees could consider Houston’s Isaac Paredes, who is on an expiring contract, as another trade target. The Astros have a glut of infielders and need to make space for Carlos Correa. Baltimore’s Jordan Westburg, San Francisco’s Casey Schmitt, Cubs’ Matt Shaw and Texas’ Josh Jung are younger players with multiple years of control remaining and could be trade options. The free-agent pool for third basemen is weak this offseason. The best way for the Yankees to upgrade is likely via trade,” Chris Kirschner wrote.

Among the names that Kirschner listed there, I'd be interested in a guy like Isaac Paredes, but I also recognize that there are expected to be multiple teams around the league interested in Paredes and what he can do with his right-handed bat. 

Josh Jung would also be a decent fit, too, but I'm not moving a haul for him considering some of the struggles we've seen from him as well.