This realistic trade package could bring Corey Seager (and massive salary) to Yankees

One of the New York Yankees' priorities this winter is bringing in Anthony Volpe insurance/competition. The only problem? Aside from Ha-Seong Kim, the shortstop market is very thin.

But what if the Yankees had a chance to do something bolder? Instead of bringing in competition for Volpe, they could replace him entirely. Well, sometimes the hot stove brings surprises, and one of them just became available.

The Texas Rangers are just two years removed from a World Series title, but age and regression have hit their club hard, and the team is now looking to cut payroll in 2026 and regroup.

Four years ago, the Yankees opted not to sign Corey Seager and instead waited for Volpe's big league arrival, suffering through a year of Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop as a result. Three years into the Volpe experience, it is pretty clear they made the wrong choice. Now, Texas's sell-off gives them the opportunity to right that wrong.

This is what it might take for the Yankees to land Rangers star Corey Seager and replace Anthony Volpe

First, the biggest thing that matters here is the money. Seager will count as $32.5 million against the luxury tax and is owed $189 million over the next six years. With his durability issues, Seager has topped 123 games in a season just once since landing in Texas; that is certainly a hefty sum.

The Yankees wouldn't have to eat all of it, though. If they took on $150 million of his money, leaving Texas to cover the remaining $39 million, they'd reduce the hit to something a bit more manageable, while still not having to pay a premium in prospects. Everyone wins here.

Now, Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young has stated that he still intends for the club to compete, and for their payroll to land somewhere around $200 million, approximately a $40 million decrease from 2025's $239 million figure.

If Texas is going to try and remain in contention, it needs major league pieces back. Filling the void left by Seager is a key, and with veteran starting pitchers Tyler Mahle, Merrill Kelly, and Jon Gray all potentially leaving in free agency, a youthful rotation arm would make a lot of sense.

With that in mind, the Yankees can open their package with Volpe paired with Will Warren to solve those needs. Volpe will get his first pass through arbitration, meaning he's still affordable and comes with three more years of team control. Volpe doesn't truly block their top prospect, shortstop Sebastian Walcott (No. 6 overall on MLB Pipeline's top 100), as the 19-year-old will need more seasoning before he brings his massive talents to the majors. In that time, perhaps Volpe can prove that a change of scenery can help him reach his full potential and can eventually form an exciting double-play combo with Walcott.

Warren would give them a young arm to pair with Volpe's high school teammate, Jack Leiter, in their rotation. The pair could become a trio that helps Texas get its pitching staff in order if the third overall pick in 2022, Kumar Rocker, can get his act together.

Volpe and Warren alone won't be enough, however. The Yankees will need to pull from their prospect depth to make this dream a reality. That should start with Bryce Cunningham, their No. 5 overall prospect.

Cunningham is expendable because of all the pitching depth the Yankees have in the system. Despite being the club's fifth-best prospect, he's one of seven arms in the top 10 and ranks behind both Carlos Lagrange and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz for the title of the system's most promising arm.

Cunningham only has 54 1/3 innings of 2.82 ERA ball at High-A Hudson Valley on his professional resume, but as a polished collegiate product out of Vanderbilt, he could be a fast riser and factor into Texas's rotation plans as early as 2027.

Lastly, as a sweetener, the Yankees could include outfielder and their No. 16 prospect Dillon Lewis. The 22-year-old was a 13th-round pick in 2024 and showed off some real power with 22 homers and a .209 ISO between Single-A Tampa and Hudson Valley in 2025, while also boasting his wheels with 26 steals. He'd be more of a lottery ticket than Cunningham, but his athleticism and experience as a college bat could also allow him to quickly rise through the ranks.

That should be about what it takes for both sides to get what they want. The Yankees taking on $150 million for Seager gets $25 million a year off of Texas's books, which is the vast majority of what they need to shed, and Texas gets answers for both 2026 and future years. Meanwhile, the Yankees get a bona fide superstar without having to surrender any of their top-100-ranked prospects.