Dream Landing Spots for MLB's High-Priced, Change of Scenery Stars Post-Devers Trade
Nobody saw the Rafael Devers trade coming, and not just because it had been all quiet in his corner of the rumor mill. It just isn't often that a player making that much money gets traded.
One can't help but wonder: Who's next?
In all likelihood, probably nobody in his earning bracket. Devers was a unique case, as it's only become clearer just how fractured his relationship with the Boston Red Sox had become. Though he was only in the second year of a 10-year, $13.5 million contract, ending it was the best thing for everyone.
Yet even if the 28-year-old was an extreme case, he's not the only high-priced player in MLB who could or should be a candidate for a change of scenery.
The goal here is to look closer at eight in particular—each of whom is on a nine-figure deal—and pick out ideal landing spots for them. This is mostly a combination of wishful thinking and armchair GM'ing, but who doesn't like fun?
We'll start with the smallest contract of the bunch and end with the largest.
CF Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins: Philadelphia Phillies
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2025 Stats: 55 G, 236 PA, 12 HR, 12 SB, .273 AVG, .339 OBP, .512 SLG
Contract Status: Year 4 of 7-year, $100 million
Why He's a Change of Scenery Candidate
Yes, Byron Buxton and the Twins are ostensibly in the middle of a playoff run. And yes, FanGraphs gives them a solid 37.4 percent chance of pulling it off.
Yet we can also be real that the Twins have been nothing special on either side of a 13-game win streak in May. This is following on the heels of a massive collapse late in 2024 and amid ongoing efforts by the Pohlads to sell the franchise, all of which points to a murky immediate future.
Buxton's long-term future, meanwhile, remains suspect. He is keeping up his act as a two-way star when he does play, but he's a 31-year-old with one of the most cluttered injury histories in recent memory. And as such, the Twins should be wondering if this is their last best chance to sell high on him.
Because he has full no-trade protection, he'll only go anywhere if he wants to. But if the Twins present him with a chance to spend the rest of his prime with a proper World Series contender, it could be hard for him to turn it down.
Why the Phillies Make Sense
Suggesting a star center fielder as a trade fit for the Phillies is a tired act, but that's on them.
Not since the early days of Odúbel Herrera's career have the Phillies had a reliable regular in center field, much less a star. They have managed to succeed despite this, but that should raise questions about how far they could go if they actually went out and got a star to roam the middle of their outfield.
A trade for Buxton would fit the bill, and such a deal would be right up Dave Dombrowski's alley. He loves his stars, and Jesús Luzardo is merely his latest trade success story.
RF Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates: Kansas City Royals
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2025 Stats: 71 G, 308 PA, 8 HR, 3 SB, .222 AVG, .295 OBP, .360 SLG
Contract Status: Year 3 of 8-year, $106.75 million with 2031 club option
Why He's a Change of Scenery Candidate
As Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on June 1, the Pirates are "flatly rebuking" interest in Paul Skenes and Oneil Cruz, but they are willing to listen on everyone else.
That includes Bryan Reynolds, who hasn't lived up to being the most expensive player in the franchise's history. Whereas he had a 128 OPS+ prior to his extension, he has much more modest 109 OPS+ in the life of his deal.
This wouldn't spell disaster if this was, say, the New York Yankees we were talking about. But whether they're poor, cheap or some combination of the two, the Bucs simply can't bear the weight of their priciest player not being up to snuff.
For his part, the 30-year-old has already requested a trade once in his Pirates career. Even if he doesn't do so again, they can hypothetically trade him to 24 teams without his permission.
Why the Royals Make Sense
The caveat here is that we don't know if the Royals are one of the teams on Reynolds' no-trade list. And yet, what we do know is how badly they need a right fielder.
With an output of -1.7 rWAR, their right field production has been the worst of any offensive position in the league. It is part of the reason their offense lags behind their pitching, and certainly an ideal spot to equip Bobby Witt Jr. with a partner in crime.
The Royals are already operating with an escalated payroll, but they could shed Salvador Perez and his $22 million salary this winter. They could otherwise be confident that would be buying low on Reynolds, who still has a bunch of red on his Statcast profile.
3B José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians: New York Yankees
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2025 Stats: 69 G, 292 PA, 13 HR, 20 SB, .319 AVG, .380 OBP, .535 SLG
Contract Status: Year 4 of 7-year, $141 million
Why He's a Change of Scenery Candidate
This is probably where we're going to lose a few of you.
Given he's been a mainstay among MLB's best players for a better part of the last decade, the Guardians should be grateful José Ramírez was willing to sign such a club-friendly deal. And he's taken part in many wins, including 36 this year.
Cleveland has also lost 35 games, though, and the Detroit Tigers have made it clear the AL Central is their division now. The Guardians simply don't have the star power to flip the script in 2025, and maybe not in 2026, either.
Besides, it would be very much like this franchise to give into cost consciousness and shed a big contract while the shedding is good. It has done it time and time again, and Ramírez himself seemed none too pleased the last time it happened with Andrés Giménez.
Why the Yankees Make Sense
Ramírez, 32, is another guy with full no-trade protection, and thus another guy who will go anywhere only if he wants to.
This said, the Yankees' contention outlook is a heck of a lot better than Cleveland's, and that is even with a hole on their infield. He would fill that by playing third and bumping Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base, though he'd also partner with Aaron Judge to again give the Yankees the best duo in the American League.
As for how Ramírez would fit at Yankee Stadium, here's a hint: Out of his 268 home runs, 170 have been as a left-handed hitter to right field.
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2B Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers: New York Mets
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2025 Stats: 72 G, 289 PA, 7 HR, 6 SB, .225 AVG, .308 OBP, .336 SLG
Contract Status: Year 4 of 7-year, $175 million
Why He's a Change of Scenery Candidate
The Texas Rangers have been playing better of late, but it's only served to get their record to 36-36. An offense that ranks fourth from the bottom of MLB in OPS remains a big part of the problem.
Marcus Semien isn't blameless to this end, which is unfortunately a variation on a theme. Through he's been productive overall (i.e., 18.5 rWAR) as a Ranger, his bat has been average or worse in three of his four seasons.
Some kind of readjustment seems inevitable for the Rangers, and it would be helpful if they dropped salary so they could create some luxury-tax breathing room. And as opposed to Corey Seager and Jacob deGrom, one of the advantages of moving Semien is that he doesn't have no-trade protection.
Even if Semien could block a trade, why would he? As he's now 34 years old, he shouldn't want to waste his remaining prime years playing for a team that is falling further and further from its 2023 glory.
Why the Mets Makes Sense
The Mets may have the best record in the National League, but their lineup isn't without its soft spots.
Jeff McNeil has done his best to keep second base from being one of them, but nobody really expects him to sustain his .520 slugging percentage. And besides, his best role is as a rover who could also play the outfield and third base as needed.
A trade for Semien would allow McNeil to fill such a role, and he'd be an upgrade at second if for no other reason than his double play partnership with Francisco Lindor. Since 2023, they are both top-10 infielders by Outs Above Average.
3B Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves: Chicago Cubs
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2025 Stats: 71 G, 315 PA, 11 HR, 2 SB, .277 AVG, .327 OBP, .435 SLG
Contract Status: Year 3 of 10-year, $212 million with 2033 club option
Why He's a Change of Scenery Candidate
Four years removed from a World Series win and two years removed from a truly epic 104-win season, the Braves find themselves in a spot where things just aren't working anymore.
They barely made the playoffs in 2024 and are now seven games under .500 here in 2025. They're also in a tight spot with their payroll, as all those extensions have created a high floor of guaranteed dollars on a year-to-year basis.
They ought to be thinking about who can go to create space, and Austin Riley is the best answer on two counts: The 28-year-old is making a lot of money, and he's fallen into a weird sort of rut offensively.
Whereas Riley was good for a 135 OPS+ and 30-plus homers between 2021 and 2023, his last two seasons have yielded a 113 OPS+ and about 27 homers per 162 games. And this year, he's fanned 91 times while drawing only 19 walks.
Why the Cubs Make Sense
Another bat for the Cubs? Don't they have enough?
They do for the most part, but third base has been a shockingly weak spot to the tune of a .557 OPS and a lone home run. It's an area they should want to address, and even the current iteration of Riley would be a monumental upgrade.
Moreover, getting him would give the Cubs some protection in the event Kyle Tucker walks as a free agent this winter. The two aren't on the same level now, but that would be a different conversation if Riley recaptured his 2021-23 form.
3B Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals: Los Angeles Dodgers
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2025 Stats: 68 G, 284 PA, 8 HR, 1 SB, .244 AVG, .306 OBP, .388 SLG
Contract Status: Year 7 of 9 years, $275 million
Why He's a Change of Scenery Candidate
Out of all the names on this list, Nolan Arenado is the one who's probably not going to make anyone do a spit-take.
It's a miracle he wasn't traded during the offseason, even if that had a lot to do with him exercising his no-trade rights to block a deal to the Astros. It was no less of a miracle when the Cardinals got off to a strong start, but those days are over.
St. Louis has regressed to the mean with a 5-10 June, with FanGraphs lowering the club's playoff odds to just 27.1 percent. And if the losses continue to pile up, there will be no harm in getting a head start on the planned transition.
Arenado is 34 years old and in the third season of a steep offensive decline. But the 10-time Gold Glover can still get it done on defense if nothing else, and he just seems the kind of guy whose bat would be energized by a new environment.
Why the Dodgers Make Sense
Max Muncy would probably beg to differ here, and so might the Dodgers. Ever since Muncy got new glasses, he's been a different hitter with a 1.025 OPS over 30 games.
The Dodgers nonetheless need to be thinking about upgrading their defense at the hot corner. Though their infield has broken even with zero Outs Above Average overall, third base is deep under water with -8 OAA. That is mostly on Muncy, who is at -7 just on his own.
Besides, Arenado joining the Dodgers would allow the rest of us to move on while presumably permitting him to be very happy. The Southern California native has been linked to the Dodgers for what feels like forever, and they would make a nice final stop on what has been a terrific career.
SS Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres: Detroit Tigers
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2025 Stats: 71 G, 286 PA, 3 HR, 13 SB, .227 AVG, .304 OBP, .311 SLG
Contract Status: Year 3 of 11-year, $280 million
Why He's a Change of Scenery Candidate
The Padres were reportedly open to trading Xander Bogaerts during the offseason and, honestly, who can blame them?
His contract seemed like a bad idea from the start, and it's only looking worse three years in. His bat has mostly been quiet since a hot first month as a Padre in 2023, and especially as he's put up a meager .661 OPS since the start of 2024.
One of Bogaerts' issues is that he's just a bad fit for Petco Park. It's a good place for righty hitters to go deep, but it otherwise harms them on singles and doubles. Those are more Bogaerts' jam, as he's more of a line-drive and ground-ball hitter than a launch angle maestro.
This alone is enough to wonder if he'd waive his no-trade rights if a contender came calling. Ideally, it would be a contender that doesn't have to worry about going through the Dodgers.
Why the Tigers Make Sense
Apropos of that last note, the Tigers have the best record in baseball and pretty much have the AL Central title all sewn up.
If they really want to go far, though, they're going to need a shortstop. The position has produced a paltry 0.4 rWAR, not to mention -3 Outs Above Average. Bogaerts could at least help with the latter, as he's been a consistently above average defender at shortstop ever since 2022.
As for his bat, Comerica Park is the inverse of Petco Park. It kills righties on home runs, but it's better for singles and doubles than San Diego's digs. That's the big gaps at work, and they'd surely work for Bogaerts, too.
RF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels: Boston Red Sox
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2025 Stats: 46 G, 192 PA, 11 HR, 2 SB, .229 AVG, .318 OBP, .452 SLG
Contract Status: Year 6 of 12 years, $426.5 million
Why He's a Change of Scenery Candidate
Yeah, yeah. We go through this exercise every year. And every year, Mike Trout doesn't get traded because he's either A) hurt or B) disinclined to force the issue.
To the first end, Trout has already missed a month with a bone bruise in his knee. But he's raked since returning, going off for a .317 average and a .408 OBP in 17 games. The power hasn't been there, but...well, come on. We know it's in there somewhere.
As to the second end, Trout has never and perhaps never will be a "rock the boat" type. And he may have to be for a trade to happen, as it's hard to imagine famously stubborn owner Arte Moreno being the one to want to send him away.
All these things said, the three-time MVP will be 34 on July 8 and he's in a moment in time when his prime is over and the Angels are stuck in a 10-year cycle of losing seasons. If he hasn't already, now is a good time for him to think long and hard about getting out.
Why the Red Sox Make Sense
The Red Sox trading away Rafael Devers only to turn around and trade for Trout wouldn't necessarily be an upgrade. But if absolutely nothing else, it would be amazing content.
And as ideas go, it's not a hard sell. The Red Sox saved about $200 million by trading Devers, which is roughly what Trout is still owed. They badly need right-handed thump, and Trout could provide it by slotting into Devers' old haunt at DH, with only occasional duty in Boston's youth-infused outfield.
Of course, Trout would have to have faith that the Red Sox can actually contend after mostly not doing so since 2018. But if his choice is between the Red Sox and the Angels, the former is by far the better bet to make sure he doesn't remain stuck on three career playoff games.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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