The Best MLB Trade Candidates at Every Position
While we all continue to wait for free agents Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette and Framber Valdez to sign their big contracts, the trades portion of MLB's hot stove just keeps on cooking.
Just in the past 10 days, we've seen Edward Cabrera to the Cubs, Ryan Weathers to the Yankees, Nolan Arenado to the Diamondbacks, a three-team swap between the Angels, Rays and Reds and plenty of other rumors.
But who's next?
Our Joel Reuter put out an updated Free Agency Big Board on Jan. 12, detailing the top 25 players still up for grabs.
Now it's time for something of a trade block big board.
At each of 10 positions—C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CF, LF/RF, LH starter, RH starter, reliever—we've identified a "Shooting for the Moon" trade candidate, a "Maybe Gettable" trade candidate and a "Definitely Available" trade candidate.
The first category doesn't mean the player is completely untouchable, nor does the latter category suggest there's a 100 percent chance the player will be on the move. But that's a total of 30 players, most of whom have popped up in trade rumors at some point in the past few months.
Catcher
1 of 10
Shooting for the Moon: Baltimore's Adley Rutschman ($7.25M in 2026, arbitration-eligible in 2027)
When the Orioles called up Samuel Basallo in mid-August and signed him to a $67M extension less than a week later, Rutschman immediately became one of the top names on the theoretical trade block.
However, there has been no indication that Baltimore would even entertain trading away the backstop who sure looked like he was going to be a franchise cornerstone during his first couple of seasons in the big leagues. Would probably take a Godfather offer for them to move him, and the only team maybe desperate enough at catcher to drum up something like that is the Phillies—if they fail to re-sign J.T. Realmuto.
Maybe Gettable: Minnesota's Ryan Jeffers ($6.7M in 2026, FA next winter)
Save for Byron Buxton, Jeffers is arguably the best position player who was still left on Minnesota's roster after the great trade deadline purge of 2025. Are they trying to contend in 2026, or are they willing to continue selling? If it's the latter, this impending free agent may well be the next Twin out the door.
Definitely Available: One of the Cardinals
Three of St. Louis' top six prospects are catchers, two of whom (Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal) are now on the 40-man roster, along with Pedro Pagés, Iván Herrera and Yohel Pozo. Depth is great, but even rebuilding teams don't need five catchers. They've been mostly dumping salary in their trades this winter, but they could get a nice package in return for four years of team control on either Pagés or Herrera.
First Baseman
2 of 10
Shooting for the Moon: Philadelphia's Bryce Harper ($26M in each of 2026-28; $22M in each of 2029-31)
At no point has it felt likely that Harper would be traded out of Philadelphia. But between President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski openly questioning in October whether Harper is still elite and then Harper posting that December video of himself in a "Not Elite" shirt, there have been periods of speculation this offseason on whether he'll actually be a Phillie for the rest of his career.
However, unless this professional relationship continues to deteriorate—like what happened with Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox last season—Harper isn't going anywhere.
Maybe Gettable: Boston's Triston Casas ($1.61M in 2026, arbitration-eligible in 2027-28)
After trading for at least two years' of Willson Contreras' services, the Red Sox might as well have plastered a "For Sale" sign on Casas' contract. Barring injury, there's simply no path to regular playing time for him on a roster that already has too many OF/DH options—and Casas is the one returning from a devastating knee injury that might keep him from being available on Opening Day.
Definitely Available: Tampa Bay's Yandy Díaz ($12M in 2026 with a conditional option for 2027)
If there's one rule of thumb when it comes to the Tampa Bay Rays, it's that any player with an eight-figure salary is automatically on the trade block. Even if the Rays aren't the aggressors in initiating conversations about Díaz, they would almost certainly entertain any offers that come their way.
Second Baseman
3 of 10
Shooting for the Moon: Arizona's Ketel Marte (Owed $103.5M over the next six years)
After a solid two months of industry-wide rampant speculation on possible landing spots for Marte, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Jan. 9 that the Diamondbacks have decided they will not be moving the three-time All-Star.
But after acquiring Nolan Arenado, they now have a surplus of infielders—provided they have any faith in Blaze Alexander, Jordan Lawlar and/or Tyler Locklear. And as they continue to negotiate with Zac Gallen and other options to shore up the rotation, trading away Marte could come back onto the table as a way to make the money work.
Maybe Gettable: Chicago's Nico Hoerner ($12M in 2026, Free Agent next winter)
In my humble opinion, the Cubs aren't looking to move Hoerner just because they signed Alex Bregman. They figure to be content with letting Matt Shaw spend a year as a utility infielder before cementing him at second base in 2027 when Hoerner leaves in free agency. However, trading away Hoerner is undeniably more doable for the Cubs now than it was a week ago.
Definitely Available: St. Louis' Brendan Donovan ($5.8M in 2026, arbitration-eligible in 2027)
While the Cardinals presumably aren't actively trying to unload Donovan's two remaining years of team control in the same way that they worked to dump the bloated contracts of Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado, there's no chance they're telling interested parties that he's untouchable—especially if they're ready to find out what 2024 first-round pick JJ Wetherholt can do as the everyday second baseman.
Third Baseman
4 of 10
Shooting for the Moon: Houston's Isaac Paredes (Either $8.75M or $9.95M in 2026, arbitration-eligible in 2027)
In mid-November, Astros GM Dana Brown said they had no interest in trading away Paredes, valuing his approach at the plate. And yet, his name keeps popping up as a possible trade candidate in light of the fact that Houston already has Carlos Correa, Christian Walker, Jeremy Peña and Jose Altuve in a loaded/expensive infield.
Adding to the trade intrigue here is the fact that Paredes filed for $1.2M more than Houston countered with, meaning there will be an arbitration hearing. And if he winds up costing them almost 15 percent more than they were planning on spending, maybe they call up the Red Sox and find out what he'd be worth to them.
Maybe Gettable: Philadelphia's Alec Bohm ($10.2M in 2026, Free Agent next winter)
Bohm seemingly has been on the trade block for as long as he has been in the majors, but he will be heading into his seventh and probably final season with the Phillies—unless they decide this is a spot where they can trim some of that gargantuan payroll. They do have both Edmundo Sosa and Otto Kemp, plus highly touted shortstop prospect Aidan Miller, who is eventually going to need to change positions to make it to the majors with Trea Turner's franchise.
Definitely Available: Texas' Jake Burger ($3.2M in 2026, arbitration-eligible in 2027-28)
Burger didn't play any third base last year, but he used to. He also used to be a consistent source of an OPS of at least .760, but his first season with Texas was a rough one at the dish. And at this point, he is blocking Abimelec Ortiz's path to regular playing time as a rookie. He's also another couple million dollars the Rangers could trim from the payroll.
Shortstop
5 of 10
Shooting for the Moon: Texas' Corey Seager (Owed $31M annually for the next six years)
Both in the weeks leading up to the Marcus Semien/Brandon Nimmo swap and for a hot minute after the fact, Seager trade speculation was all the rage. Texas openly wanted to shed payroll, and the $186M left on the two-time World Series MVP's contract seemed like a great way to do so.
Rangers President of Baseball Operations Chris Young said in mid-December that they "are not shopping Corey Seager." But there's a difference between "not shopping" someone and telling other teams that a player is "untouchable," right? Perhaps there's still a world in which a team like the Red Sox blows them away with an offer. (Goodness knows Boston has starting pitching to spare, and Texas needs arms.)
Maybe Gettable: Washington's CJ Abrams ($4.2M in 2026, arbitration-eligible in 2027-28)
After a flurry of Abrams and MacKenzie Gore chatter early in the offseason, it's been all quiet on the Washington front since the winter meetings ended. But are the Nationals committed to keeping Abrams? Or are they just waiting for interest to pique again after Bo Bichette signs his contract and a couple of teams are forced to pivot to a different shortstop with terrible defensive metrics? If the Giants whiff on Bichette, maybe they offer up Bryce Eldridge for three years of Abrams at second base.
Definitely Available: Detroit's Javier Báez ($24M in each of 2026-27)
Good luck finding anyone desperate enough at shortstop to make an offer for Báez's salary. However, he did have a renaissance season in 2025, and Detroit would love to free up some funds. MLB's No. 2 overall prospect Kevin McGonigle may well be ready for a big league infield job by spring.
Corner Outfielder
6 of 10
Shooting for the Moon: Cleveland's Steven Kwan ($7.725M in 2026, arbitration-eligible in 2027)
In four career seasons in the majors, Kwan has won four Gold Gloves while batting .281. And when he featured prominently in trade speculation this past summer, the general public finally started to appreciate just how valuable he has been.
But if Cleveland was unwilling to move its second-best player back when it was sub-.500 and seemingly drawing dead for the postseason, would it really do so now, with as good a chance as any team of winning the AL Central?
It only makes sense for the Guardians if they're getting multiple, MLB-caliber starting pitchers in the deal. Which means the Dodgers and Mets are probably the only plausible trade partners here.
Maybe Gettable: Boston's Jarren Duran ($7.7M in 2026, arbitration-eligible in 2027-28)
In addition to its new-found excess of starting pitching, Boston has a surplus of outfielders in Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony, plus Masataka Yoshida at DH and Nate Eaton as a super utilityman. The Red Sox could "two birds, one stone" their roster predicament by sliding Rafaela to second base, but half of his value comes from his range in center. Trading Duran for several years of team control on a quality middle infielder (Ketel Marte? Jeremy Peña? Brendan Donovan?) might be the better way to go.
Definitely Available: Philadelphia's Nick Castellanos ($20M in 2026, Free Agent next winter)
If the Phillies agree to retain a decent chunk of his salary, there should be plenty of teams interested in Castellanos—who is, if nothing else, a constant presence in the lineup with the seventh-most games played in the majors since the beginning of 2017. His defense in right field is so problematic, though, that he almost has to go somewhere that he can DH on a regular basis. Maybe a reunion with Cincinnati?
Center Fielder
7 of 10
Shooting for the Moon: Minnesota's Byron Buxton ($15M in each of 2026-28)
Are the Twins buying, selling or nah?
They've done essentially nothing in the past three months, outside of signing Josh Bell to a one-year deal. But now that the pool of available free agents is starting to dry up, they could put another "For Sale" sign on their entire roster and see what sort of desperation comes their way.
Buxton is the crown jewel, fresh off arguably the best season of his career. And once Cody Bellinger signs his next contract and leaves a couple of teams scrambling, Minnesota might get an offer it can't refuse. (Though, Buxton does have a full no-trade clause.)
Maybe Gettable: Chicago's Luis Robert Jr. ($20M in 2026, $20M club option in 2027)
Even after signing Munetaka Murakami, Anthony Kay and Sean Newcomb, the White Sox still have a bottom-five payroll and would potentially drop to dead last if they traded away Robert and replaced him with someone making the league minimum. But they might be willing to embrace the ire of the MLBPA if it means swapping Robert for a long-term asset or two.
Definitely Available: Toronto's Myles Straw ($7.4M in 2026, $8M club option in 2027, $8.5M club option in 2028)
Though Straw did provide quite a bit of value on defense while appearing in 137 games, it's no secret that the Blue Jays only acquired him last winter to increase their international bonus pool in their pursuit of Roki Sasaki. But Straw is an expendable expense for Toronto.
Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
8 of 10
Shooting for the Moon: Detroit's Tarik Skubal (Either $19M or $32M in 2026, Free Agent next winter)
The biggest trade candidate of them all is headed for quite the arbitration hearing, with Skubal and the Tigers filing at a gap of $13M.
It is technically permissible for Skubal to be traded before the hearing (which could come as late as mid-February), but it would be highly unusual, both because of the money variable and because the new team would then be the one arguing that he's only worth $19M instead of $32M. So, if you think there's a 10 percent chance Skubal will be traded before Opening Day, it's probably more like a one percent chance it would happen before his salary is determined.
Unless Detroit outright declares that Skubal is untouchable, though, it is going to continue getting phone calls about the twice-reigning AL Cy Young winner.
Maybe Gettable: Washington's MacKenzie Gore ($5.6M in 2026, arbitration-eligible in 2027)
Whether you prefer FanGraphs or Baseball-Reference for pitching WAR, Gore was worth roughly three wins above replacement in 2025, on par with Merrill Kelly and Luis Castillo, each of whom will be making at least $20M in 2026. But Gore isn't even slated for $6M next season and is on a trajectory for maybe $10M the following year, which is laughably great value. Could ignite quite a bidding war among teams with limited remaining budget, but a need for at least one more starting pitcher—see: Arizona, Cleveland, Detroit, San Diego, Texas.
Definitely Available: New York's Sean Manaea ($17.25M, plus deferrals for each of 2026-27)
Of the Mets' stockpile of arms that maybe could be the No. 4 option in a playoff rotation, Manaea is both the most expensive and the one who fared worst in 2025. His luxury tax payroll hit is $22M, but that's effectively $46.2M for the Mets, as a multiple-time tax offender blowing well past all of the tiers yet again.
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
9 of 10
Shooting for the Moon: Cincinnati's Hunter Greene ($8M in 2026, $15M in 2027, $16M in 2028, $21M club option in 2029)
Greene's six-year, $53M extension has turned out to be a phenomenal investment. For as great as he has been over the past two seasons, getting three more for $39M (or four more for $60M) is practically highway robbery.
But could the Reds pull a Tampa Bay, if you will, and trade Greene away now that his salary is beginning to tick upward?
Most likely not. At least not this offseason. Give Chase Petty and Rhett Lowder another year of development, though, and maybe they think about it.
Maybe Gettable: Los Angeles' Tyler Glasnow ($30M in 2026, $30M in 2027, $30M club option or $21.6M player option in 2028)
Glasnow's name popped up as a trade candidate during the Winter Meetings. Though the Dodgers quickly shut down those rumors, it would make sense for them to move at least one of their starting pitchers. They have Glasnow, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Landon Knack, River Ryan and Bobby Miller all under team control through at least 2028. Share the wealth, Dodgers, and save a big chunk of your own in the process. Moving Glasnow would shave nearly $60M off their total bill for 2026.
Definitely Available: New York's Kodai Senga ($15M in 2026, $15M in 2027, conditional club option in 2028)
See: Manaea, Sean. They wouldn't save quite as much by moving this righty as they would by moving the southpaw. However, if they were to replace Senga's roster spot with the league-minimum salary of Jonah Tong or Brandon Sproat, that's about $30M less they'd be spending after factoring in the tax penalty. And considering they booted Senga to Triple-A last fall, they might be saving $30M and reaping the benefits of a better rotation.
Relief Pitcher
10 of 10
Shooting for the Moon: Houston's Bryan Abreu ($5.85M in 2026, Free Agent next winter)
Over the past four seasons, Abreu has quietly been one of the most valuable relievers in all of baseball. He has been particularly lights out in the eighth inning, where he has a career 1.66 ERA in 152 appearances.
In going from Ryan Pressly to Josh Hader, though, Houston has never been in a position to really find out what Abreu can do as a closer. But how much might a team offer up to Houston so it can find out if he shines in that role?
Maybe Gettable: Colorado's Jimmy Herget ($1.55M in 2026, arbitration-eligible in 2027)
Save for 31-HR catcher Hunter Goodman, Colorado's most valuable player in 2025 was this 31-year-old middle reliever who went 1-2 without a single save. Herget did have a 2.48 ERA, though, as was also the case when he logged 69.0 innings (and nine saves) with the Angels in 2022. Perhaps he could be a major contributor in a bullpen that occasionally has leads to protect.
Definitely Available: St. Louis' JoJo Romero ($4.26M in 2026, Free Agent next winter)
Romero had a 2.07 ERA last season, saving eight games and tallying 24 holds, blowing just one lead along the way. He could be a closer or a set-up man, and there's no particularly good reason for St. Louis to hang onto this impending free agent while churning through their rebuild. But maybe they'll keep him for a few months, hoping to flip him for a nice haul ahead of the summer deadline.
