Ranking Top 15 MLB Prospects That Were Traded This Offseason
The MLB trade market has been busy this offseason, especially of late with blockbuster deals that sent Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets and MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers shifting the pitching landscape.
While the MLB talent changing hands in offseason deals is generally the focal point, it's the prospects going the other way that will ultimately determine who will be the winners and losers of each deal.
Ahead we've ranked the top 15 prospects that were traded during the 2025-26 MLB offseason, including six players who were part of the most recent B/R Top 100 prospect list.
Let's start with a few honorable mentions that have a chance to make a splash.
Honorable Mentions
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Pitchers
RHP Anderson Brito, TB
RHP Luis Perales, WAS
RHP Alejandro Rosario, WAS
RHP David Sandlin, CWS
Hitters
OF Yeremy Cabrera, WAS
SS Devin Fitz-Gerald, WAS
SS Cristian Hernández, MIA
OF Brendan Jones, MIA
1B Abimelec Ortiz, WAS
OF Austin Overn, TB
OF Tai Peete, STL
Nos. 15-11
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15. RHP Yhoiker Fajardo, St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 19
Stats (Rk/A): 19 G, 2.25 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 27 BB, 83 K, 72.0 IP
Trade: Willson Contreras to Red Sox
Fajardo has a projectable 6'3", 181-pound frame and is more polished than the average teenager, giving him good odds to develop into a middle-of-the-rotation starter. He has three quality pitches, and if everything clicks, he will have the stuff to match his impressive pitchability.
14. C Caden Bodine, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 22
Stats (NCAA): 67 G, .318/.454/.461, 24 XBH (5 HR), 42 RBI
Trade: Shane Baz to Orioles
With one of the best hit tool in the 2025 draft class and the defensive chops to stick behind the plate, Bodine could be the answer to a long-standing question at the catcher position for the Rays. His game is built on his bat-to-ball skills, so he may never be a major power threat, but his defensive profile and hit tool give him starting backstop upside.
13. RHP Michael Forret, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 21
Stats (A+/AA): 19 G, 1.58 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 21 BB, 91 K, 74.0 IP
Trade: Shane Baz to Orioles
With 91 punchouts in 74 innings and a stingy .157 opponents' batting average last season, Forret clearly has electric stuff, and there is room for more as he continues to grow into his 6'3", 190-pound frame. The Rays know how to develop pitching, and with a four-pitch arsenal and improving command, he offers a ton of potential.
12. LHP Jake Bennett, Boston Red Sox
Age: 25
Stats (A/A+/AA): 19 G, 2.27 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 19 BB, 64 K, 75.1 IP
Trade: Luis Perales to Nationals
The Red Sox flipped the long-term upside and injury concerns of Luis Perales for the high floor and MLB readiness of Bennett, who could see the majors in 2026. The 6'6", 234-pound lefty has a mid-90s fastball and a terrific changeup, and while his command is still developing, he could be ready to help in a multi-inning bullpen role with an eye on still developing into a long-term rotation option.
11. OF Slater de Brun, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 18
Stats: N/A
Trade: Shane Baz to Orioles
The Orioles selected de Brun with the No. 37 overall pick in the 2025 draft, but his $4 million signing bonus fit 15 spots higher in terms of slot values. With a 55-hit, 65-speed profile and more polish than most prep hitters, he has drawn comparisons to a young Corbin Carroll, and even if he never develops more than average power his value as a table-setter and future center fielder is extremely high.
Nos. 10-6
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10. OF Dillon Lewis, Miami Marlins
Age: 22
Stats (A/A+): 122 G, .237/.321/.445, 48 XBH (22 HR), 79 RBI
Trade: Ryan Weathers to Yankees
Lewis has a clear up arrow next to his name following a 22-homer, 26-steals performance in his first full professional season, and he is already looking like one of the heists of the 2024 draft class when he was a 13th-round selection. To put those numbers into context, there were only 16 prospects across all of minor league baseball who had 20/20 seasons in 2025.
9. LHP Brandon Clarke, St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 22
Stats (A/A+): 14 G, 4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 27 BB, 60 K, 38.0 IP
Trade: Sonny Gray to Red Sox
Blister issues limited Clarke to 38 innings in his pro debut last season, but he flashed elite upside when healthy, striking out 60 of the 174 batters he faced while showcasing plus athleticism and elite arm talent. There is a wide range of outcomes for his long-term profile, with some reliever risk and the ongoing health question marks, but if everything clicks he could be a top-of-the-rotation arm.
8. SS Gavin Fien, Washington Nationals
Age: 18
Stats (A): 10 G, .220/.267/.341, 4 XBH (0 HR), 7 RBI
Trade: MacKenzie Gore to Rangers
The No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 draft and one of the best power bats in last year's prep class, Fien has the 55-hit, 55-power offensive profile to develop into a staple on Top 100 prospect lists and a future star. His 6'3", 200-pound frame probably fits best at third base, but he has more than enough upside offensively to be a clean fit at the hot corner.
7. OF Jacob Melton, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 25
Stats (AAA): 35 G, .286/.389/.556, 22 XBH (6 HR), 17 RBI
Trade: Brandon Lowe to Pirates
There was no place for Melton in a crowded Astros outfield, but he is ready for an extended look in the big leagues after posting an .815 OPS with 37 extra-base hits and 23 steals in 82 games at Triple-A. He hit just .157 with 29 strikeouts in 78 plate appearances in his first taste of the big leagues, and his profile is power-over-contact, but a strong spring could vault him into Opening Day roster consideration.
6. RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, St. Louis Cardinals (No. 93 on B/R Top 100)
Age: 22
Stats (A+/AA): 26 G, 3.99 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 51 BB, 120 K, 108.1 IP
Trade: Brendan Donovan to Mariners
Drafted as a switch-pitcher, which is how he was utilized at Mississippi State, Cijntje will focus exclusively on working from the right side this spring as he pushes closer to reaching the big leagues. There was a good chance this was always going to be his future, even when he was taken No. 15 overall in the 2024 draft, so the move away from pitching from both sides does nothing to lessen his prospect status.
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5. RHP Brandon Sproat, Milwaukee Brewers
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B/R Top 100: No. 90
Age: 25
Stats (AAA): 26 G, 4.24 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 53 BB, 113 K, 121.0 IP
Stats (MLB): 4 G, 4.79 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 7 BB, 17 K, 20.2 IP
Trade: Freddy Peralta to the Mets
Before breakout seasons from Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong in 2025, it was Brandon Sproat who was the most exciting pitching prospect in the New York Mets system.
The University of Florida alum has piled up 244 strikeouts in 237.1 innings during his two seasons in the minors, and he made his MLB debut on Sept. 7 for a Mets team pushing for a playoff berth.
He should get a long look this spring alongside Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, DL Hall and Robert Gasser for the final two spots in the Milwaukee rotation behind Brandon Woodruff, Jacob Misiorowski and Quinn Priester.
4. OF Jhostynxon García, Pittsburgh Pirates
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B/R Top 100 Rank: No. 84
Age: 23
Stats (AA/AAA): 114 G, .267/.340/.470, 42 XBH (21 HR), 75 RBI
Stats (MLB): 5 G, .143/.333/.286, 1 XBH (0 HR), 0 RBI
Trade: Johan Oviedo to the Red Sox
"The Password" should have a chance to break camp with a starting spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates outfield this spring, after he was buried on the outfield depth chart in Boston and only received a brief cup of coffee in 2025.
He has hit every step of the way in the minors, including a .286/.356/.536 line with 24 doubles, 23 home runs and 66 RBI across three levels during the 2024 season, which was the springboard for an equally impressive showing in the upper levels of the minors last year.
A strong arm and his 55-grade power should make him a clean fit at an outfielder corner, though he has also seen time in center field, which further adds to his value. The Pirates need offense in a major way, and he could be a dark horse NL Rookie of the Year candidate if he earns a regular role out of camp.
3. C Harry Ford, Washington Nationals
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B/R Top 100 Rank: No. 62
Age: 22
Stats (AAA): 97 G, .283/.408/.460, 34 XBH (16 HR), 74 RBI
Stats (MLB): 8 G, .167/.250/.167, 0 XBH (0 HR), 1 RBI
Trade: José A. Ferrer to the Mariners
Hopelessly blocked by 2025 AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh in Seattle, up-and-coming catcher Harry Ford is now facing a much more clear path to the big leagues after he was traded to the Washington Nationals.
Flipping him for setup reliever José A. Ferrer looks like a significant overpay, even with the lefty boasting four remaining years of club control and Ford's path blocked, and even with a loaded farm system it's a deal the Mariners could come to regret. He is a rare athlete for the catcher position with three 20-steal seasons in the minors, to go along with an elite .405 career on-base percentage.
He will suit up for Team Great Britain in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and he was one of the tournament's more impressive early round standouts three years ago when he went 4-for-13 with one double, two home runs and four RBI in four games.
2. OF Owen Caissie, Miami Marlins
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B/R Top 100 Rank: No. 44
Age: 23
Stats (AAA): 99 G, .286/.386/.551, 52 XBH (22 HR), 55 RBI
Stats (MLB): 12 G, .192/.222/.346, 2 XBH (1 HR), 4 RBI
Trade: Edward Cabrera to the Cubs
With Kyle Tucker departing in free agency, it looked like Owen Caissie might have the inside track for the Chicago Cubs starting right field job next season, but instead he was used as the centerpiece in a blockbuster deal to acquire Edward Cabrera.
He should slot immediately into the Miami Marlins starting outfield, and after hitting .281/.380/.507 with 41 home runs and 130 RBI in 226 games at Triple-A the last two years, he has nothing left to prove in the minors at this point.
With an athletic 6'3", 190-pound frame, 60-grade raw power and a plus throwing arm, he checks all the boxes to be an everyday right fielder and a middle-of-the-order run producer in Miami.
1. SS/OF Jett Williams, Milwaukee Brewers
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B/R Top 100 Rank: No. 39
Age: 22
Stats (AA/AAA): 130 G, .261/.363/.465, 58 XBH (17 HR), 52 RBI
Trade: Freddy Peralta to the Mets
A 5'7", 175-pound spark plug with above-average tools across the board, Jett Williams has been one of the elite prospects in the New York Mets system since he was taken No. 14 overall in the 2022 draft.
However, it was always going to take some combination of Williams, Carson Benge, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat to acquire a frontline starting pitcher if they wanted to bolster the starting rotation on the trade market, and it was Williams and Sproat who were shipped to Milwaukee to acquire Freddy Peralta.
With Joey Ortiz entrenched at shortstop in the big leagues and both Jesús Made and Luis Peña offering star upside in the minors, Williams will likely make a full-time move to the outfield in the Brewers system, and he could get a look in center field by the second half of the 2026 season.
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