Former Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager is joining the Texas Rangers in a 10-year, $325 million deal, US media reported on Monday.

Seager is one of the most coveted free agents in baseball, and the Dodgers had been expected to mount a strong bid to retain his services in the face of a clutch of interested teams including the New York Yankees.

However the 27-year-old — named MVP of the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series victory — has opted to take his talents to Texas after being offered a lucrative long-term deal.

The Rangers finished bottom of the American League West division last season with 60 wins and 102 losses, and have endured losing records for each of the last five seasons.

The Rangers last reached the playoffs in 2016, when they were beaten in the divisional round.

The club lost back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011, the Rangers’ only appearances in the Fall Classic.

Seager blasted 100 home runs in 609 games for the Dodgers from his rookie-of-the-year season in 2016 to 2021.

His spell with the Dodgers was interrupted by lengthy injury absences, notably in May 2018 when he underwent Tommy John surgery to repair elbow ligaments. That was followed by hip surgery in August 2018.

After a quiet season in 2019, the two-time All-Star rediscovered his best form in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, with 15 homers in 52 regular season appearances.

He also won MVP in both the National League Championship Series and the World Series, blasting two home runs and five RBIs.