The Mets kicked off the offseason with a surprise move. They sent Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers in exchange for Marcus Semien. That’s a deal that seems to suit both teams just fine. But the other New York club might be feeling the sting. Why? Because that Mets-Rangers swap could seriously hurt the Yankees’ chances of landing Corey Seager as a potential upgrade over Anthony Volpe!

Well, for the unversed, Seager has long been seen as a possible trade chip for Texas. And the Yankees were reportedly eyeing him to fix their shortstop woes. But baseball has a way of shaking things up when you least expect it. And this time, it’s the Yankees who got thrown a curveball.

“It definitely tilts in the direction of Seager staying put this offseason, but we’ll need to see more of what the Rangers plan to do this offseason. That also means the Yankees, if they were ever interested in trading for Seager, just got put in a holding pattern as Texas continues to reshape their future outlook,” Yanks Go Yard’s Thomas Carannante reports.

So why are the Yankees even after Seager?

It really comes down to Volpe’s struggles at shortstop. Notably, he led the league with 19 errors and didn’t deliver much at the plate either, batting just .212 with a .663 OPS. Seager, meanwhile, is coming off a solid year. He hit 21 HRs in only 102 games… And his overall track record at shortstop is also strong, with an impressive 18.3 fWAR. Hence, it’s no surprise the Yankees see him as a major upgrade.

But here’s where the Rangers complicate things…

The only real incentive for Texas to trade Seager is financial. They’re trying to cut costs, and moving him would clear the $186 million he’s owed over the next six years. However, the Nimmo–Semien deal changes that equation.

By swapping Semien’s $25 million AAV for Nimmo’s $20.25 million, the Rangers save about $4.75 million a year for the next three seasons. Although it’s not nearly as big as the savings from a Seager trade, it does ease the pressure enough to stall any immediate decisions.

So now, instead of aggressively shopping Seager, the Rangers can step back and reassess. And while they do that, the Yankees are left waiting to see whether their $325 million target will become Volpe’s replacement or slip out of their hands altogether.

The Yankees-Rangers scene is more than Corey Seager

Well, Corey Seager isn’t the only Ranger the Yankees have their eyes on. There’s another big-name veteran on their radar: Jacob deGrom. With Gerrit Cole set to return, New York still wants more established arms, and deGrom fits that need perfectly. For the unversed, deGrom is 37, but he remains elite. He holds the record for strikeout-to-walk ratio at 5.37, which is absurdly good. Sensing Max Scherzer here?

In terms of his contract, deGrom still has two years left on his contract at $75 million total, plus a $20 million club option. So, trading him could also help the Rangers strip off their payroll.

On the other hand, for the Yankees, pairing him with Cole, along with Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Cam Schlittler, would instantly give one of the most dominant rotations in baseball. That group alone could push them right into World Series–favorite territory.

So even if the Seager pursuit fizzles out, the Yankees may still have a shot at landing deGrom from Texas.