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Thanks to one swing, Corey Seagers legacy with the Texas Rangers is protected in a nuclear-blast proof air lock, but that device does not mean this relationship is shielded from fatigue, frustration and other words that start with the letter F.
The Rangers All-Star shortstops trips to the disabled list this season are so frequent that he can start collecting reward points.
He has not played since June 30, and this narrative is aging as well as a full diaper.
This is the second consecutive season where its always something with Seager, and third straight year of, another one? Hamstring.
Sports hernia.
Hamstring.
Appendectomy.
Concussion.
Now, the most terrifying word of all, Back.
You cant see it, only the person can feel it, and a Back may never go back to normal.
On Friday before the first-place Rangers hosted the second-place Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Mall, Seager played three simulated innings.
Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said after the workout he wont know for a few hours how Seagers back responded; the tentative plan is to do another workout on Sunday afternoon.
Today was a good day; he feels good, Schumaker said Friday.
Dont ask when Seager will be ready to play a game that counts.
God doesnt even know.
After the Rangers 5-4 win against Seattle on Friday night, Seager has now missed more games this season than hes played: 52 to 51.
He is currently on the injured list, his 10th such visit since the start of the 2023 season.
Seager is 32 and in his 12th major league season; if hes waiting to feel like hes 22, the Rangers should trade him tomorrow.
Its not intentional, but hes holding the Rangers hostage.
The Rangers cannot assess their team as long as hes not playing, and hes not playing until he feels like hes ready.
Anytime your superstar is not in the lineup, its probably hard to assess, Schumaker said.
Theres a number of teams that could probably say that when they have their superstar in the lineup, it makes them look much different.
Everything, defensively, offensively, all of it.
Weve done a really good job without him and for the majority of the season, but I always think were better with him in the lineup The MLB trade deadline is Aug.
3, and the Rangers need Seager on the field to determine many decisions, including if they want to trade him, which team president of baseball operations Chris Young said in the offseason they do not.
If we are going to win we need Corey Seager, Young said in December.
Given the state of this roster, that holds true today.
A big part of the Corey Seager problem Seager is an intense introvert who does his own thing, which can give off the worst vibe in a clubhouse, or to the consuming public.
It was something that former Rangers manager Bruce Bochy struggled with in his three years with the club: the permission the club grants Seager to do whatever, which he fully exercises.
Its been that way since Seager arrived in his first training camp with the team, in 2022, and the Rangers knew when they signed him to a 10-year, $325 million contract.
Knowing it and living with it are different demands.
He has made minimal effort to be a visible part of the community; he does not appear comfortable in front of a microphone, which made his time on the stage during the Rangers World Series parade so memorable.
Even if he means nothing by it, he gives off an aloof, doesnt care attitude.
No player who produces like Seager doesnt care.
But combine that perception created with these trips to the injured list, and it creates an unflattering picture.
Since the start of the 2023 season, he has missed, in consecutive years, 43, 39, 60 and now 53 games and counting.
Corey Seagers contract challenge Seager is in the fifth year of his contract with the Rangers, a deal that will pay him $31.5 million each season for the remainder of the deal.
The contract includes a limited no-trade clause, blocking eight teams without consent.
After the season, his full no-trade clause kicks in, and he has the power to block any deal.
The Rangers approach to its payroll, and spending, made a 90-degree turn in the offseason when owner Ray Davis told Young that they had to improve from within.
With the threat of a lockout after the season, and continued speculation that the owners will force a restrictive salary cap, the club may not want to continue to carry Seagers deal; particularly if they believe this pattern of missing 40 games or more is the norm.
How much is Seagers one swing worth? Of the players who contributed to the Rangers World Series title in 2023, Seager did the most.
He won his second World Series MVP award that fall, and in that season, and specifically that playoff run, he was worth the money.
His game-tying two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 of the World Series is the greatest moment in the history of the franchise.
That electric swing, and catalytic moment, buys him a level of grace with a fan base, and franchise, that few athletes ever enjoy.
Most Rangers fans remember what it was like not to have that World Series, and are forever indebted to Seagers swing.
This is pro sports, and valuing past performance against current or predicted production is a terrible data point.
Seager merits not a dime in back pay.
The Rangers can appreciate and value what Seager did, while also being real about where he is, and what they need moving forward.
What they cant keep doing is living like this with their superstar player, because its hamstringing the entire franchise.