Alex Bregman, Sonny Gray and 7 Potential Surprise MLB Trade Candidates
The Miami Marlins' decision to wave the white flag and trade second baseman Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres in early May has brought the MLB trade market front and center much sooner than usual.
Who could be the next star on the move?
Ahead, we've highlighted seven players who could wind up being unexpected trade candidates if their team's slow start stretches into the summer, including Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman and St. Louis Cardinals veteran ace Sonny Gray.
Recent roundup articles from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Bob Nightengale of USA Today helped form an outline for teams and players who could unexpectedly become available this summer.
This remains largely speculative, but don't be surprised if any or all of these players are at the center of trade rumors come July.
LHP Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels
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2024 Stats: 7 GS, 2-4, 2.74 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 18 BB, 32 K, 42.2 IP, 1.7 WAR
Left-hander Tyler Anderson turned a career year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 into a three-year, $39 million deal from the Los Angeles Angels, but he fell flat in his first season with the Halos.
Last year, he posted a 5.43 ERA and 1.49 WHIP while his walk rate spiked from 4.8 to 10.2 percent and, entering his age-34 season, it looked like the Angels might have paid a premium for an outlier performance.
However, the southpaw has rebounded nicely over his first seven starts this year. If he can keep it going while the Angels continue to be a non-factor in the AL West, he will be a viable trade candidate this summer.
Anderson carries a $13 million salary for the 2025 season, which is roughly in line with what Jack Flaherty (1/$14 million), Kyle Gibson (1/$13 million) and Luis Severino (1/$13 million) received in free agency this past offseason.
3B Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
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2024 Stats: 138 PA, 58 OPS+, .195/.275/.260, 6 XBH (1 HR), 11 RBI, -0.4 WAR
Ignore those 2024 numbers.
Alex Bregman has a long enough track record of star-level production that teams will be lining up for a chance to add him to the roster if the Houston Astros do decide to make him available this summer.
The 30-year-old is playing in the final season of a five-year, $100 million deal, and it was reported in March that the Astros have not yet made him a formal extension offer, though the door has not been closed on a potential in-season deal.
With a 12-24 record through their first 36 games, the Astros could come to a major crossroads this summer if things don't improve in the coming weeks.
Framber Valdez and Kyle Tucker are also names to keep an eye on since both are free agents after the 2025 season if the Astros opt for a larger scale rebuild.
CF Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miami Marlins
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2024 Stats: 152 PA, 108 OPS+, .243/.322/.412, 12 XBH (5 HR), 20 RBI, 8 SB, 0.2 WAR
The Miami Marlins hung a fairly definitive "For Sale" sign in the window last week when they traded Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres, while team president Peter Bendix publicly stated that the team is "unlikely to make the playoffs this year" despite the fact that it is still early May.
Could that mean Jazz Chisholm Jr. is on his way out the door?
More than a few people seem to think so.
"Several baseball executives insist that Chisholm, who is under team control until 2027, will be dealt in the months to come," wrote Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The 26-year-old has dealt with a variety of injuries, but he has also posted a 104 OPS+ while averaging 28 home runs, 32 steals and 3.0 WAR per 162 games during his five years in the big leagues.
B/R's Zachary Rymer ran down some potential landing spots for Chisholm in a recent article.
RHP Erick Fedde, Chicago White Sox
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2024 Stats: 7 GS, 2-0, 3.46 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 14 BB, 41 K, 39.0 IP, 1.2 WAR
The idea of anyone from the Chicago White Sox being traded this summer should come as no surprise, as they appear destined for a 100-loss season while continuing to search for a long-term plan and direction.
What is surprising is how valuable a trade chip Erick Fedde might wind up being.
The No. 18 overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Washington Nationals, he scuffled to a 5.41 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 454.2 innings over five seasons in the big leagues before spending the 2023 campaign in the KBO.
Pitching for the NC Dinos last year, Fedde finished 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 209 strikeouts in 180.1 innings, and the White Sox brought him back stateside with a two-year, $15 million deal in December.
The 31-year-old has ditched his curveball in favor of a sweeper and is also generating far more whiffs with his mid-90s sinker, and the early results this year have been terrific. His team-friendly $7.5 million salary for next year will further add to his trade appeal.
RHP Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals
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2024 Stats: 5 GS, 4-1, 0.89 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 5 BB, 38 K, 30.1 IP, 1.1 WAR
After dealing with an underperforming starting rotation throughout the 2023 season, the St. Louis Cardinals moved quickly to add Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson in free agency at the start of the offseason.
The starting staff has modestly improved from a 5.08 ERA last year to a 4.28 ERA so far this season, but there are other issues and this is looking more and more like a flawed roster that could need a more drastic rebuild.
Paul Goldschmidt will be a popular name in trade rumors as he is playing in the final season of his contract, but don't be surprised if Gray is also floated in trade talks.
The 34-year-old signed a three-year, $75 million deal during the offseason after finishing runner-up in AL Cy Young voting with the Minnesota Twins last year. The back-loaded contract will pay him $25 million in 2025, $30 million in 2026 and also carries a $30 million club option with a $5 million buyout for 2027.
The New York Mets created a blueprint last season for moving a veteran pitcher on a big-money contract when they absorbed significant cash to trade Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer in exchange for some top-tier prospect talent.
The Cardinals could utilize a similar approach if they decide to make major changes.
LHP Yusei Kikuchi, Toronto Blue Jays
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2024 Stats: 7 GS, 2-2, 2.72 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 9 BB, 43 K, 39.2 IP, 1.0 WAR
"The Jays continue to underperform. Their payroll is a franchise-record $225 million. Their farm system is meh. And with many of their big names approaching free agency, the team is at a crossroads," Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote.
All extremely valid points.
Without extensions on the books for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the Toronto front office could cook up one hell of a fire sale if it really wanted to throw in the towel this summer, but it's still too soon to expect anything that drastic.
Instead, upcoming free agents Yusei Kikuchi, Justin Turner, Danny Jansen and Kevin Kiermaier are the most logical trade chips if they fail to climb back into contention, while closer Jordan Romano is also a candidate to be dealt.
Kikuchi, 32, had a nice bounce-back season last year after a poor debut in Toronto, finishing 11-6 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 181 strikeouts in 167.2 innings.
Teams always need pitching help at the deadline, and his 2.31 FIP provides plenty of reason for optimism that his career-best start is sustainable.
3B Isaac Paredes, Tampa Bay Rays
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2024 Stats: 146 PA, 161 OPS+, .299/.384/.520, 12 XBH (8 HR), 19 RBI, 1.1 WAR
Welcome to the harsh reality that is life for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Operating on one of the smallest payrolls in baseball means consistently trading away impact players once they reach arbitration and start to become exponentially more expensive.
Third baseman Isaac Paredes fits the bill after he saw his salary jump from $735,000 in 2023 to $3.4 million this season in his first year of arbitration eligibility. And when his name pops up in trade rumors this summer, it will not be the first time.
Moving the 25-year-old would also create a path to MLB playing time for top prospect Junior Caminero, who is hitting .315/.375/.630 with five doubles, six home runs and 16 RBI in 18 games back at Triple-A after making his MLB debut down the stretch last year.
The Rays are off to a mediocre start, and if they do fall out of the race, Paredes could wind up being the most potent bat on the market this summer.
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