SURPRISE, Ariz. — Corey Seager and Marcus Semien were signed to a pair of megadeals ahead of the 2022 season, hoping to lead the Rangers to the promised land.
They accomplished that, helping Texas to the first World Series title in franchise history in 2023. But just two years and some change later, Seager is the only one who remains, with Semien shipped off to the Mets in a one-for-one deal that brought in Brandon Nimmo this offseason.
“He’s a really good player,” Seager said of Semien. “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. [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.”
Asked about rumors of a “toxic” relationship with Semien, Seager downplayed any sort of tension. The two weren’t best friends. That’s not always how baseball works. But they were teammates and coworkers, who led the club with different personalities.
“That’s just all speculation,” Seager 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.”
So where does that leave Seager in a newly constructed Rangers clubhouse looking to return to the postseason in 2026?
It starts with rebuilding the culture — one of the hallmarks of new manager Skip Schumaker. Seager said Schumaker gave a speech on Sunday, ahead of the first full-squad workout, regarding expectations for his managerial tenure.
“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.”
“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.”
Seager has never been the most outward-facing leader. Semien had assumed the unofficial role of captain during his tenure with the club. But the superstar shortstop is not afraid to provide help when asked.
Seager also notes that one of the biggest responsibilities of being a leader is knowing how not to “screw people up.” The best coaches know the right moment to say things, but they also know when not to say things.
It’s not an easy skill, but it’s one Seager tries to maintain every day.
“I don’t think you can really dictate [if people see you as a leader], right?” Seager said. “It’s all about how you can help people and how you can stay out of people’s way. That could also help them. You want to be an open book as a veteran and be approachable.
“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.”
