Corey Seager reflected on Marcus Semien's trade to the Mets during spring training in Surprise, Arizona. The Rangers shortstop downplayed rumors of tension between them and expressed excitement about incoming outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Seager also highlighted the team's focus on rebuilding culture under new manager Skip Schumaker.
In Surprise, Arizona, ahead of the Texas Rangers' 2026 season, Corey Seager addressed the offseason trade that sent teammate Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo. Seager and Semien had signed major contracts before the 2022 season, contributing to the Rangers' first World Series victory in 2023.
Seager praised Semien as "a really good player" and emphasized their shared achievement. "We won a World Series here, just like all the 26 people that did. You can't ever take that away from us, what we were able to accomplish," Seager said. Regarding the trade, he noted, "[The trade] was definitely something that you -- I don't know if you expect or not expect, but that’s just baseball, right? It happens. Sometimes you need changes of pace. We're excited about Nimmo, though, and what he can do. We’re looking forward to this year."
Rumors of a "toxic" relationship between the two were dismissed by Seager. "That's just all speculation," he said. "Me and Marcus had a fine relationship. We both respected each other, we were both professional and we knew how to go about our business and try to accomplish a goal. We did that in ‘23. Like I said, you can't take that away from us."
With Semien gone, who had served as an unofficial captain, Seager discussed leadership in the revamped clubhouse. New manager Skip Schumaker delivered a motivational speech on Sunday before the first full-squad workout. "He got a lot of people fired up and headed the right way," Seager said. "Now it's all about maintaining that. It's about ways to be able to help and keep things moving the right direction, and not steering off the path and staying the course."
Seager described maintaining team culture as challenging, stressing the importance of good attitudes and professionalism. "It's hard. If you knew the secret sauce, you'd never get off [the path]. It's just having good people in the clubhouse, having a good attitude, showing up every day, expecting to win. That's going to be extremely beneficial," he added. On his own role, Seager said, "I don't think you can really dictate [if people see you as a leader], right? It's all about how you can help people and how you can stay out of people's way... You help where you can. You pick your spots. But other than that, you're just trying to be one of the guys and keep this thing going in the right direction."
