10 Change of Scenery MLB Trade Candidates for the 2025 Season
Not all MLB players find immediate success in the big leagues, and sometimes it takes a change of scenery before a player fully realizes his potential.
Whether it's a young up-and-comer who is blocked by a veteran, a once-promising prospect whose development has stalled or simply a player who would potentially benefit from a fresh set of eyes assessing his skills, a new team brings with it new opportunities.
Outfielder JJ Bleday (Athletics) and left-hander Cole Ragans (Royals) are two recent examples of change-of-scenery success stories, and ahead we've highlighted 10 players who have the potential to follow in their footsteps if they end up on the trade market in 2025.
SP Mick Abel, Philadelphia Phillies
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Still only 23 years old, Mick Abel ranks as one of the top pitching prospects in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system, but he has not progressed as hoped since reaching the upper levels of the minors.
In a full season at the Triple-A level last year, he finished 3-12 with a 6.46 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and a 117-to-78 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 108.2 innings over 24 starts. His 6.5 walks per nine innings were the worst mark of his professional career.
However, the electric stuff that made him a Top 100 prospect at Baseball America prior to the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons still remains, and it might be time for a fresh set of eyes to assess what needs to be done to unlock his full potential.
3B Brett Baty, New York Mets
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Brett Baty was hailed as the third baseman of the future throughout his time in the New York Mets farm system, but with Mark Vientos coming off a breakout season at the hot corner and Pete Alonso re-signed in free agency, he now looks like little more than organizational depth.
The 25-year-old has hit .215/.282/.325 for a 70 OPS+ in 602 plate appearances in the big leagues over the last three seasons, tallying 15 doubles, 15 home runs, 55 RBI and minus-0.7 WAR in roughly the equivalent of one full MLB season.
He had an .854 OPS with 16 home runs and 45 RBI in 62 games back at Triple-A last year, so there is still some upside to dream on, but it might take a fresh start for him to realize the hype that followed him as the No. 12 pick in the 2019 draft.
IF Justin Foscue, Texas Rangers
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Justin Foscue spent the first half of the 2024 season recovering from an oblique injury after making his MLB debut on April 5, and he ended up going 2-for-42 with 18 strikeouts in his first taste of the big leagues.
Despite that lackluster showing, he still looks like one of the most MLB-ready prospects in the minors, and he posted a .932 OPS with 11 doubles, 10 home runs and 36 RBI in 54 games once he was optioned back down last year.
The 26-year-old has a 55-grade hit tool and the potential to be an everyday player at second base, but with a crowded infield pushing him down the depth chart, that opportunity might not come until he finds a new home.
IF/OF Vaughn Grissom, Boston Red Sox
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There is a good chance Vaughn Grissom will never be able to escape his legacy in Boston being the guy the Red Sox got back when they traded 2024 NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves in one of the most ill-advised moves in recent memory.
His window to claim the starting second base job has seemingly slammed shut following the addition of Alex Bregman and with top prospects Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer knocking on the door.
That said, he is still only 24 years old, and the tools that made him a consensus Top 100 prospect and a breakout star for the Braves when he first arrived in the big leagues in 2022 are still there.
IF/OF Marco Luciano, San Francisco Giants
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At this time a year ago, there was still a strong belief that Marco Luciano was the shortstop of the present and future for the San Francisco Giants.
Instead, he ended up optioned back to the minors with the club going with veteran Nick Ahmed at shortstop to open the year instead, and by season's end it was Tyler Fitzgerald who had emerged as a breakout performer at shortstop.
Now with the addition of high-priced free agent Willy Adames, it is clear the Giants have turned the page, and Luciano has been seeing time in the outfield to try to carve out a utility role. The 23-year-old was a consensus Top 100 prospect at the start of each of the past five seasons, and there might not be a better buy-low target for a team looking for help at the middle infield spots.
SP Matt Manning, Detroit Tigers
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First baseman Spencer Torkelson might be the obvious answer for the Detroit Tigers after he was pushed to the bench with Gleyber Torres added at second base and Colt Keith now shifting to first base.
However, Matt Manning has also tumbled from potential rotation cornerstone to depth piece set to start the year at Triple-A, and at 27 years old with club control through 2028 there would be more than a few teams willing to take a chance on his remaining upside.
In 27 starts during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he posted a 3.51 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 141 innings, and while those numbers were backed by a middling strikeout rate, his stuff was good enough to believe the swings and misses would eventually come.
SP Bobby Miller, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Even with Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler gone in free agency, and Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Gavin Stone and Emmet Sheehan all set to open the year on the injured list, Bobby Miller was still optioned to the minors on Tuesday, weeks before Opening Day.
The 25-year-old looked like a rising star at this time a year ago, fresh off a rookie season where he finished 11-4 with a 3.76 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 119 strikeouts in 124.1 innings while showcasing top-of-the-rotation potential.
His fastball velocity (99.1 to 97.6 mph) and spin rate (2,350 to 2,297 rpm) both moved in the wrong direction last year, and he ended up struggling to an 8.52 ERA over 56 innings while making three separate trips back to the minors.
The Dodgers do not have the luxury of allowing him to work through his issues at the MLB level while chasing another World Series title, but he could be a great reclamation project for a rebuilding club.
1B/OF Nick Pratto, Kansas City Royals
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Nick Pratto's status went from disappointing former first-round pick to future middle-of-the-order run producer when he posted a .988 OPS with 36 home runs in 125 games between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021.
He made his MLB debut the following year, but struggled to find his footing, and in 527 combined plate appearances during the 2022 and 2023 seasons he hit .216/.295/.364 for an 81 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 14 home runs, 55 RBI and minus-1.5 WAR while logging a 38.7 percent strikeout rate.
The 26-year-old spent the entire 2024 season back at Triple-A, hitting .242/.24/.410 with 20 doubles, 16 home runs and 61 RBI in 115 games. With Vinnie Pasquantino now blocking his path, Jac Caglianone also quickly rising the ranks as an option at first base and his attempts to shift to the outfield yielding less-than-stellar results, Pratto might need a fresh start to get another chance to be a big league regular.
OF Alek Thomas, Arizona Diamondbacks
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Alek Thomas was an everyday starter in the outfield for the Arizona Diamondbacks during their run to the World Series in 2023, but hamstring and oblique strains limited him to just 39 games last year and in his absence Jake McCarthy broke through to stake his claim to a starting spot.
With that, Thomas has fallen to the role of fourth outfielder, and with a .226/.271/.359 line and 73 OPS+ in 277 career games, it's fair to wonder if that is now the role he is destined to play for the remainder of his career.
At 24 years old, there is still reason to believe he has untapped offensive potential to go along with his stellar glove in the outfield. He hit .317/.390/.501 in 1,616 games over six years in the minors, so the foundation is there for him to take another step at the plate, but he will need to prove himself in a more limited role if that breakthrough is going to happen in a D-backs uniform.
OF Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals
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Jordan Walker was a surprise addition to the St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day roster in 2023 thanks to a stellar performance during spring training, and he began his MLB career with a 12-game hitting streak.
However, the Cardinals made the surprise decision to option him back to the minors at the end of April, despite a solid .274/.321/.397 line and 11 RBI over his first 20 games in the big leagues.
Since that point, he has been shuttled back and forth between Triple-A and the majors enough times to believe the Cardinals may have permanently derailed his development. The 6'6", 250-pound slugger also continues to be miscast as an outfielder, and with Willson Contreras shifting to first base and Nolan Arenado still clogging up third base, there is no path to him returning to a corner infield spot in the near future.
The best thing the Cardinals could do for him at this point is give him a fresh start, but at 22 years old they no doubt still view him as a potential key piece of their long-term plans.
