Corey Seager contract details: Rangers lock down central midfield with former World Series MVP
Rangers will hit the free agency market this holiday season.
Texas has agreed to a deal with former Dodgers Corey Seager, one of the most prominent freelancers out there. Rangers will now have the forward duo of Seager and Marcus Semien after they signed the latter to a seven-year, $175 million deal on Sunday. In addition to the pair of central defenders, Texas also signed right winger Jon Gray with a 4-year term, worth $ 56 million.
Seager was instrumental for the Dodgers, winning the World Series MVP in 2020 when the last team won it all. He’s been one of the team’s best players this season, hitting the .306 / .394 / .521 mark with 16 home runs. In 636 career games with Los Angeles, he has a diagonal of .297 / .367 / .521 with 104 home goals.
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Here are the details of how much he will earn in Texas:
Corey Seager contract details
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports Seager will receive $325 million in his 10-year contract.
Unlike some other megadeals of the past, there aren’t any options on his contract: No trade, Seager will remain in Rangers uniforms for the next 10 years, by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Additionally, Seager will also receive a $5 million contract signing bonus and a limited trading ban clause in his contract, by Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Even without picking 27-year-old Seager, having a 10-year guarantee through the end of his 37-year-old season is plenty of time for the big bucks. On average he will make $32.5 million per year, more than some of the other big deals given to freelancers in the past.
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While the Dodgers’ inability to keep him is a blow, they’re likely going to have an uphill battle to accommodate that kind of return. As former MLB executive and current Fangraphs writer Kevin Goldstein has pointed out, state tax differences between California and Texas have left the two with a larger divide over what can be offered:
When you factor in these huge numbers, state taxes, or lack thereof, can make a big difference. The Dodgers could have offered $350 million+ and it would still be less money in Seager’s pocket.
– Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) November 29, 2021
Biggest free agency contract
There have been a number of big deals signed by free agency players over the past few years, but few can compare to the Seager deal.
Here are the largest free agency deals signed in MLB history (excludes extensions).
Player | Team | First year | Year | Value |
Bryce Harper | Phillies | 2019 | 13 | $330 million |
Corey Seager | Rangers | 2022 | ten | $325 million |
Gerrit Cole | Yankees | Year 2020 | 9 | $324 million |
Manny Machado | Padres | 2019 | ten | 300 million dollars |
Alex Rodriguez | Yankees | 2008 | ten | $275 million |
Alex Rodriguez | Rangers | 2001 | ten | 252 million dollars |
Anthony Rendon | Angel | Year 2020 | 7 | $245 million |
Stephen Strasburg | National citizen | Year 2020 | 7 | $245 million |
Albert Pujols | Angel | 2012 | ten | $240 million |
Robinson Canoe | Mariners | 2014 | ten | $240 million |
The Seager deal was the second-largest free agent deal by total value in MLB history. Among the shortfalls, he is paid among the biggest names. The Mets extended Francisco Lindor to a 10-year, $341 million contract, while the Padres locked down Fernando Tatis Jr. with a 14-year extension, worth $340 million.
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Corey Seager’s Career Income
This is the first big deal in Seager’s career. He previously got his money through arbitration with the Dodgers, with his biggest year coming last season: He was paid $13.7 million, according to Spotrac. All told, Seager has made $24.69 million in his career, according to Spotrac.
However, this is not the first big deal in his family. His brother, Kyle Seager, signed a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with the Mariners in 2014. According to ESPN Stats & Info, they were the first two brothers to sign a $100 million contract together. .