When Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young talked to reporters last week, he gave every indication they were willing to explore trades for their higher priced players.

He didn't put it exactly like that. But he did indicate they were looking for deals in which they could acquire multiple players in trade. For the Rangers, that means trading one of their four high-priced veterans.

It now appears that the Rangers are more focused on exploring one veteran’s market.

Per The Athletic’s (subscription required) Ken Rosenthal and The Dallas Morning News Evan Grant (subscription required), the Rangers are expected to explore the trade market for shortstop Corey Seager. But how many options are out there?

A Complicated Corey Seager Trade Scenario

There are legitimate reasons why the Rangers would explore moving Seager. He has five years remaining on his 10-year, $325 million contract. Texas has more than $100 million in payroll locked up in four players.

Seager is coming off his worst statistical season after going on the injured list three times. His 162-game career slash of .284/.358/.503 with 32 home runs and 94 RBI is a good indication of what he can when he’s healthy. But potential trade partners much weigh that against his recent injury history. Seager hasn’t played more than 123 games in any of his last four seasons.

He's the most tradable commodity. The Rangers are committed to outfielder Brandon Nimmo because he costs less fits their desire to build a lineup that gets on base more often. Pitchers Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, who combined for more than $60 million in payroll, are in the final year of their contract and trading them would devastate the pitching staff.

Seager is likely to bring the return the Rangers are looking for multiple players, including at least one that can help them right away. The Rangers could easily slide Ezequiel Duran into shortstop and while he doesn’t have Seager’s pure power he’s arguably a better defender.

Most importantly for Texas, it gives them financial flexibility. It removes more than $30 million from their payroll each the next five seasons and gives them the chance to be competitive in free agency.

But that's also one of the complications. Most teams will be unwilling to take on his contract, even if the Rangers pay some of it down. It leaves Texas with a narrow group of teams — mostly large market teams that have the money to afford absorbing Seager’s contract — as trade partners. The Rangers can also only trade with teams that have a need at shortstop or at least a shortstop they're willing to give up. Seager also has a no-trade clause now that he has 10/5 rights under the current CBA.

Given those parameters, the Atlanta Braves make the most sense as a trade partner. They are large market team that can handle the contract. They have an opening at shortstop. And Atlanta is closer to where Seager grew up in Concord, N.C. Plus, the spotlight in Atlanta is similar to the spotlight in Arlington. Seager might not be eager to go to a larger market with more attention, such as Philadelphia or New York. Atlanta might suit his rhythms as a player better.

The reality is the Rangers don't hold all the cards here. Seager can decide to stay in Texas if he wants or he can direct the Rangers where he wants to be traded. That could impact the return the Rangers get. Texas probably wants at least three players for Seager, one of which can help them at the Major League level in 2027.

The fact that they're exploring their options will give them an opportunity to gauge the market. After that, it's a mad dash to figure out if a deal can be made before a likely work stoppage in December. One thing seems clear. The talk of a flat payroll and acquiring multiple players in trade is not bluster. Texas appears intent on doing so and that may mean sacrificing their 2023 World Series MVP to do it.