Texas Rangers star addresses report about toxic relationship with ex-teammate

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager will have a new double-play partner this season after second baseman Marcus Semien was traded to the New York Mets in the offseason.

According to the New York Post, that move came amid concerns about a toxic relationship between Seager and Semien, All-Stars who helped the Rangers win the 2023 World Series and who were two of the team’s highest-paid players.

Seager addressed his relationship with Semien on Monday at training camp in Surprise, Arizona, in a video posted by Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports.

“I think that’s things that are in-house that people don’t know about, right?” Seager said. “That’s just all speculation. 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. And we did that in ‘23. So, like I said, you can’t take that away from us.”

Seager, 31, is a five-time All-Star (three appearances with the Rangers) and two-time World Series MVP, including in 2023 with Texas. He has hit .278 with 117 home runs in four seasons with the Rangers. He was limited to 102 games last season because of injuries and hit .271 with 21 home runs and 50 RBIs.

Semien, 35, is a three-time All-Star (two appearances with the Rangers). He hit .249 with 93 homers in four seasons with Texas and hit .230 with 15 homers and 62 RBIs in 127 games last season.

Semien was traded to the Mets for outfielder Brandon Nimmo, 32, a 10-year veteran who hit .262 last season with a career-high 25 home runs.

Josh Smith, 28, is expected to step in at second base for the Rangers. He hit .251 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs last season in his fourth year with the club.


Game schedule dates, times, locations

  • Feb. 3 Boston 110, Mavericks 100
  • Feb. 5 San Antonio 135, Mavericks 123
  • Feb. 7 San Antonio 138, Mavericks 125
  • Feb. 10 Phoenix 120, Mavericks 111
  • Feb. 12 L.A. Lakers 124, Mavericks 104
  • Feb. 20 at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m., ESPN, KFAA, MavsTV
  • Feb. 22 at Indiana, 4 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
  • Feb. 24 at Brooklyn, 6:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
  • Feb. 26 vs. Sacramento, 6:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
  • Feb. 27 vs. Memphis, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
  • Jan. 28 Houston 79, TCU 70
  • Feb. 1 Colorado 87, TCU 61
  • Feb. 7 TCU 84, Kansas State 82
  • Feb. 10 TCU 62, Iowa State 55
  • Feb. 14 TCU 95, Oklahoma State 92 (OT)
  • Feb. 17 at Central Florida, 6 p.m., ESPN+
  • Feb. 21 vs. West Virginia, 4 p.m., Peacock
  • Feb. 24 vs. Arizona State, 8 p.m., CBSSN
  • Feb. 28 at Kansas State, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2
  • March 3 at Texas Tech, 6 p.m., FS1
  • Jan. 29 TCU 79, Kansas 77
  • Feb. 1 Texas Tech 62, TCU 60
  • Feb. 4 TCU 90, Houston 45
  • Feb. 8 Colorado 80, TCU 79
  • Feb. 12 TCU 83, Baylor 67
  • Feb. 15 vs. West Virginia, 7 p.m., FS1
  • Feb. 18 at Houston, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
  • Feb. 22 vs. Iowa State, 3 p.m., ESPN
  • Feb. 25 at Cincinnati, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
  • March 1 vs. Baylor, 3 p.m., ESPN
  • Feb. 13 TCU 5, Vanderbilt 4
  • Feb. 14 TCU 5, Arkansas 4
  • Feb. 15 vs. Oklahoma (at Globe Life Field in Arlington), 6:30 p.m., FloSports.TV
  • Feb. 17 vs. UT Arlington (at Globe Life Field in Arlington), 7 p.m., none
  • Feb. 20 at UCLA, 7 p.m., FS1
  • Feb. 21 at UCLA, 4 p.m., BigTen+
  • Feb. 22 at UCLA, 3 p.m., BigTen+
  • Jan. 27 Stars 4, St. Louis 3
  • Jan. 29 Stars 5, Vegas 4 (SO)
  • Jan. 31 Stars 3, Utah 2
  • Feb. 2 Stars 4, Winnipeg 3 (OT)
  • Feb. 4 Stars 5, St. Louis 4
  • Olympic break
  • Feb. 25 vs. Seattle, 7 p.m., Fox, Victory+
  • Feb. 28 vs. Nashville, 7 p.m., Victory+
  • March 2 at Vancouver, 9 p.m., Victory+
  • March 3 at Calgary, 8 p.m., Victory+
  • March 6 vs. Colorado, 7 p.m., Victory+
  • 2026 season
  • Aug. 29 vs. North Carolina (at Dublin), TBA
  • Sept. 12 vs. Grambling State, TBA
  • Sept. 19 vs. Arkansas State, TBA
  • Sept. 26 at Central Florida, TBA
  • Oct. 3 vs. BYU, TBA
  • Oct. 17 at Baylor, TBA
  • Oct. 24 vs. West Virginia, TBA
  • Oct. 31 vs. Kansas, TBA
  • Nov. 7 at Arizona, TBA
  • Nov. 14 vs. Kansas State, TBA
  • Nov. 21 vs. Utah, TBA
  • Nov. 28 at Texas Tech, TBA
  • 2026 season
  • TBA vs. TBA (at Rio de Janeiro), TBA
  • 2026 opponents (dates and times TBA; one home game will be in Rio)
  • vs. N.Y Giants
  • vs. Philadelphia
  • vs. Washington
  • vs. Arizona
  • vs. San Francisco
  • vs. Tampa Bay
  • vs. Jacksonville
  • vs. Tennessee
  • vs. Baltimore
  • at N.Y Giants
  • at Philadelphia
  • at Washington
  • at L.A. Rams
  • at Seattle
  • at Green Bay
  • at Houston
  • at Indianapolis
  • Feb. 21 Team Texas-David Starr’s Racing School
  • March 6-7 Goodguys: 16th LMC Truck Spring Lone Star Nationals
  • March 12-15 Steak Cookoff Association World Championships
  • March 14 NASCAR Racing Experience
  • March 20-21 POWRi Racing
  • March 28 Mopar Heaven
  • April 11 NASCAR Racing Experience
  • April 18 Team Texas-David Starr’s Racing School
  • April 18 Bubble Run
  • April 23-25 Pate Swap Meet
  • April 25 FuelFest
  • April 30-May 2 High Limit Racing Stockyard Stampede
  • May 1 NASCAR Truck Series: SpeedyCash.com 250
  • May 2 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Andy’s Frozen Custard 340
  • May 3 NASCAR Cup Series: Wurth 400

This story was originally published February 16, 2026 at 12:45 PM.

Jim Barnes

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Jim Barnes is the Star-Telegram’s sports editor. A Fort Worth native and graduate of Castleberry High School, he returned to Texas after 13 years at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He previously was sports editor of the Waco Tribune-Herald and a freelance high school sports reporter for The Dallas Morning News.

Jim Barnes

Source link