Burger spoke about his new teammate after watching him early in the 2026 season: “Nimmo is always a tough out and fighting off pitches. It felt like that’s something we were missing last year…,” he said of the former Met, who is currently hitting .353.

Seager also likes where Nimmo is slotted in the batting order and added, “It’s definitely a good thing to have at the top of the lineup.” Both comments were reported by Kennedi Landry on X (@kennlandry).

Nimmo thriving outside New York

Nimmo doesn’t appear to miss anything about New York so far. His 2026 start with Texas has been far better than his final season with the Mets, when he opened the year with a tough series against the Houston Astros, hitting just .182 with two hits in 11 at-bats.

In Texas, everything has clicked. He’s recorded six hits in 17 at-bats through the most recent game against the Baltimore Orioles, adding another RBI to bring his total to three this season, along with a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s been an outstanding start for the outfielder.

According to Baseball Reference projections, Nimmo is expected to hit .250 with 21 home runs over 521 at-bats in 2026. If he maintains his current pace with the Rangers, producing at least one hit per game, he could easily exceed those numbers.

The Mets lost a veteran with plenty of experience, but the Rangers gained a proven player with postseason credentials, one who hasn’t started a season this strong since 2021, when he also opened the year hitting .333.

“That’s just all speculation. We had a fine relationship. We both respect 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. You can’t take that away from us,” Seager told the The Dallas Morning News writer.

Although Semien now plays for the Mets and is well removed from the Texas Rangers clubhouse, reporters continue to revisit the narrative that surfaced following his departure to New York, one that suggested there had been tension between the two in Texas.

Recounting the reported events with Seager and Semien

In January 2026, Joel Sherman of the New York Post published a report stating that the relationship between Seager and Semien had become “toxic.” According to the report, this internal friction was a significant factor in the Rangers’ decision to trade Semien, despite the duo having led the team to a World Series title in 2023.

According to sources cited by Rangers Nation and DLLS, tensions peaked during the 2025 season. Semien reportedly made a pointed remark suggesting Seager “talked a lot for someone who only played around 30 games that year.”

Seager struggled with significant injuries in 2025 (including an appendectomy and hamstring issues), while Semien is known for his “iron man” reputation, rarely missing games. This comment was seen as a jab at Seager’s availability versus his vocal presence in the clubhouse.

“Though Team USA reached out about adding the Rangers’ right-hander to its World Baseball Classic roster, ultimately, the second-year starter will not participate, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Dallas Morning News,” Evan Grant wrote.

In his article for The Dallas Morning News, Grant makes it clear that it is still unknown who was behind the decision to prevent Leiter from playing in the WBC. “It is unclear if insurance was at the heart of the Leiter situation or if there were other concerns expressed by the Rangers,” Grant wrote.

Not a heavy workload for Leiter

While it is still not clear who was responsible for keeping Leiter off Team USA’s roster, it’s worth noting that his participation in the World Baseball Classic would not have placed significant stress on his arm. Grant reports that Leiter was expected to be used primarily during the opening phase of the tournament.

“Leiter, 25, was expected to be added as a piggy-back reliever, who likely would have appeared only in the first round for Team USA, which is scheduled to open the tournament March 6 against Brazil in Houston. It likely would have taken him away from the Rangers for at least one start, perhaps more,” Grant wrote.

Leiter finished the 2025 season with a 3.86 ERA, a strong mark that officially made it his best year as a starter. He appeared in 29 total games for the Rangers, marking his second MLB season alongside Seager.

Grant also notes that one possible reason Leiter could be out of the 2026 WBC picture is organizational change within the Rangers, including the arrival of a new manager, Skip Schumaker, and a new pitching coach. “This will be the first time Leiter will go to camp with the opportunity to simply prepare for his job, rather than trying to win a roster spot,” Grant wrote.

According to journalist Jeff Passan on X, the Rangers have agreed to bring in Alexis Diaz, the free-agent pitcher who was an All-Star during his time with the Cincinnati Reds. The right-handed reliever is joining Texas on a one-year contract.

Earlier, catcher Danny Jansen joined the team on a two-year, $14.5 million contract, as did left-hander Tyler Alexander, who also agreed to a one-year deal with the franchise.

Skip Schumaker’s team is looking to end a two-year streak of missing the playoffs, and surrounding Corey Seager with the best possible support could be one of the key factors in making that happen.

Diaz’s MLB numbers

Following his 2023 All-Star season with the Cincinnati Reds, closer Alexis Diaz faced a sharp decline in his subsequent MLB performance. The pitcher endured a tumultuous campaign, splitting time between the Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves across just 18 games.

His statistics highlighted the struggle, featuring a high 8.15 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP over only 17.2 innings pitched. Most concerning were the 16 earned runs and six home runs conceded, leading to an alarming 3.1 home runs per nine innings rate.

Despite these poor numbers, the Texas Rangers recently signed Diaz, making a clear bet that he can rebound to the reliable late-inning form he demonstrated in his earlier, more successful seasons.

Following a terrible performance this year, in which they lost more than 100 games, the Rangers have made a splash recently by landing two of the biggest names on the market, Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.

Seager has been linked to a number of teams before leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers after six years to sign a mind-blowing contract withTexas, who have previously landed former Toronto Blue Jays‘ second baseman Semien. Now, the Rangers are apparently looking to add a new pitcher to their rotation.

MLB Trade Rumors: Rangers looking to trade for one of the Reds’pitchers

Shortly after they took all the spotlight with two big signings, the Rangers are taking center stage again as they would continue boosting their starting rotation for 2022,perJon Morosi of MLB Network.

According to him, the Rangers have got in touch with the Cincinnati Reds to discuss the possibility of trading for one of their starting pitchers:Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, or Tyler Mahle. Following Kyle Gibson‘s trade to the Philadelphia Phillies, it’s a position where Texas need improvement.

It remains to be seen whether the Reds will accept to trade any of them, who have all pitched under 4.00 ERA for the team. Meanwhile, the Rangers are becoming an attractive destination as they look set to make an impact next season.

When it comes to position players, Corey Seager’s situation should be the team’s top priority. He declined an $18.4 million qualifying offer from the team, meaning that they’ll get a compensatory pick if he signs with another team.

Seager is expected to fetch plenty of attention in free agency, with the New York Yankees reportedly keeping him at the top of their wishlist. Even so, that doesn’t mean that his days at Dodger Stadium are over.

Dodgers Tried To Extend Seager

Apparently, the team tried to sign him to a contract extension throughout the season. And, even though talks didn’t come to fruition, they still believe that he could fit in the infield next to Trea Turner.

“The Dodgers offered Seager a contract extension earlier this year, according to people with knowledge of the situation,”Jorge Castillo of The LA Times reported. “They would welcome a return. If he does re-sign, the Dodgers could move him to third base or keep him at shortstop and tradeTrea Turner. The Dodgers acquired Turner along with Scherzer to play second base in 2021 and move to shortstop in 2022 if Seager left. Retaining Seager would open options.”

MLB Rumors: Dodgers Still Want To Bring Corey Seager Back

Also, Dodgers’ President of Baseball OperationsAndrew Friedman recently confirmed that the team will try and make a run at Seager in the offseason:

“Seager’s obviously meant a great deal to us looking back,” Friedman said, as quoted by ClutchPoints. “And I think we have a pretty demonstrative track record with guys that we know well and have been with us. We’ll be aggressive to try to retain. That being said, we have a lot of other really talented players as well and a whole payroll to look at and manage. He’s a great player. He’s gonna get a great contract rightfully so and time will tell how it kind of plays out.”

Seager played a huge part in their recent success and was even named World Series MVP just two years ago, so the Dodgers will need to break the piggy bank and maybe let other players go if they intend to retain him.

And now that they feature such a revamped pitching rotation and that much offensive firepower, the defending champions could look to strengthen their roster even more by adding yet another star.

At least, that’s what Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic thinks is bound to happen, as he reported that the Dodgers could land disgruntled star Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story from the Colorado Rockiesin return for Corey Seager and future compensation.

Los Angeles Dodgers Could Trade For Nolan Arenado

“Imagine this: The Dodgers reacting to a potential loss of free-agent third baseman Justin Turner and a return of infielder DJ LeMahieu to the Yankees by signing catcher J.T. Realmuto and moving Will Smith to third base. Or imagine this: The Dodgers acquiring both third baseman Nolan Arenado and shortstop Trevor Story from the Rockies, clearing the shortstop position by sending World Series MVP Corey Seager to Colorado or someplace else,” Rosenthal said.

Moreover, Rockies insider Nick Groke also hinted at that possibility, claiming the team should be pretty worried about simply looking their superstar infielder for nothing if they don’t act quickly:

“The Dodgers are in a perfect position. They can wait to see if [GM Jeff] Bridich becomes desperate. And if not, then whatever. The Rockies, on the other hand, are in a tough spot. They should be worried,” he wrote.

It’s clear that Arenado has already outgrown the Colorado Rockies and he’s looking to win a ring now that he’s in his prime. Colorado won’t be able to compete at a high level without him, but it’s not like the front office is trying to do anything to become a contender in the foreseeable future either.