MLB Teams Best Positioned to Shake Up the Roster Ahead of Spring Training
There has been a flurry of veteran signings in recent days, with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander returning to the Detroit Tigers, three-time All-Star Marcell Ozuna signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates and former NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt re-signing with the New York Yankees.
Typically, once pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the transactions come more at the bottom of the roster, as opposed to the top. Put simpler: It's much more likely the Tigers trade or DFA their current projected 26th man than trade two‑time defending AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.
With all that acknowledged, there are still some clubs positioned to make moves before the regular season begins.
Baltimore Orioles
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Even after re-signing Zach Eflin and acquiring Shane Baz in a trade, the Orioles continue to be linked to every notable starting pitcher available, with USA Today's Bob Nightengale reporting Tuesday that Mike Elias and company are among those interested in Zac Gallen.
Beyond the possibility of adding another piece, the O's have made so many moves this offseason that they could be a team that considers trading from an area where they have a surplus.
With the signing of Pete Alonso and the expectation that top prospect Samuel Basallo could get an extended look at DH, Ryan Mountcastle seems like an obvious trade candidate. Set to turn 29 later this month, Mountcastle has an .813 career OPS against lefties. He's making a modest $6.8 million this season, and his contract includes a club option for $7.5 million in 2027. There's a good chance he'll be moved.
Less likely is outfielder Tyler O'Neill, who also currently looks like an overqualified bench player. O'Neill is frustrating because he's flashed superstar potential at multiple points in his career, but has consistently been unable to stay healthy. Coming off of a season where he posted a 92 OPS+ (100 is league average), Baltimore would likely have to pay down a decent chunk of the $33 million he's owed over the next two seasons. They're probably better holding on to him and seeing if he rebounds, though he would be an interesting trade candidate if the Orioles ate some money to facilitate a deal.
San Diego Padres
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When in doubt, assume that San Diego president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is going to be active.
The Padres are another team that Nightengale said Tuesday is interested in Gallen. Given that both Nick Pivetta and Michael King can opt out and become free agents next winter, one would presume that it would have to be a multi-year deal if the Friars signed Gallen. At this stage, it's unclear if Gallen would prefer to just take a one-year deal and rebuild his value, or get a multi-year deal. A compromise could be taking a multi-year deal with the chance to opt out after 2026, though that wouldn't seem to make sense for the Padres.
Then again, San Diego could sign Gallen to a deal that only guarantees he's with them for a year and look to trade Pivetta. If Pivetta pitches anything like he did in 2025—when he posted a 2.87 ERA across 181.2 innings, en route to a sixth-place finish in NL Cy Young Award voting—he's going to opt out next winter. He won't be eligible for the qualifying offer. There's an argument to be made for moving him now to maximize the return, particularly if you're adding another potentially comparable pitcher like Gallen.
No one will ever accuse the Padres of being boring under Preller's leadership, so while the focus right now would be on making a move or two in the starting rotation, it's entirely possible there's another move we haven't considered that they could make before the regular season.
Philadelphia Phillies
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Nick Castellanos' relationship with the Phillies—specifically, manager Rob Thomson—deteriorated when his playing time dipped a year ago.
It got to such a bad point that the Phillies have been clear all offseason that the two-time All-Star will not return in 2026, with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski saying earlier this week that the team hopes to have a resolution before Castellanos would need to report to spring training.
While the Phillies would obviously like a team to take on even a small portion of Castellanos' $20 million salary in 2026, the most likely outcome is probably that he's just released. Someone will take a chance on him if it's for the minimum salary of $780,000, but he's a big personality and posted the worst WAR among all qualified position players a year ago, so he's far from a certain thing at this stage of his career.
Elsewhere, it appears that while Zack Wheeler is trending in a positive direction as he works his way back from the thoracic decompression surgery he had last September, it doesn't seem like he's going to be ready for Opening Day.
Even if the Phillies are hopeful top prospect Andrew Painter will be ready, they do seem to be a candidate to add another veteran starter. Walker Buehler might be a candidate after he posted a 0.66 ERA across 13.2 innings last September for the Phillies.
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Miami Marlins
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The Marlins won't be reuniting with the aforementioned Ozuna, but they still feel like a club who could use another veteran bat, probably a first baseman and/or DH.
As things stand, the Marlins have Liam Hicks projected to be their starting first baseman and Griffin Conine at DH, both of whom are left-handed. They have taken a flier on Christopher Morel following his non-tender by the Tampa Bay Rays, though his .651 OPS since the start of the 2024 season leads you to believe they could benefit from adding another right-handed bat.
Perhaps they would be a fit for Castellanos, who is from Hialeah, FL. He has signaled a willingness to try first base this offseason, and could also DH. In a pinch, he could also play in right field.
If not Castellanos, another former Phillie might be a fit. Rhys Hoskins is a free agent following a disappointing two-year run with the Milwaukee Brewers. Hoskins will still hit the ball out of the ballpark, though, and has a reputation around the league as being one of the best clubhouse guys.
An outside-the-box option could be former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen, who seemingly won't be returning to the Pittsburgh Pirates, but has signaled a desire to continue playing. McCutchen is mostly a DH at this stage, but he did play a handful of games in the outfield last year for the Buccos.
Quietly, the Fish went 35-32 after the All-Star break a year ago. If Clayton McCullough's club can add another bat, they could be a sneaky playoff contender in 2026.
St. Louis Cardinals
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Chaim Bloom has done a lot of subtracting in his first offseason as the president of baseball operations for the Cardinals, trading Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan.
But even if the focus on St. Louis is still on the big picture, the Cardinals are going to have to field a team in 2026. Earlier this month, Bloom said the Cards are still looking to acquire another outfielder.
Perhaps they could be another team that winds up being a suitor for Castellanos, though Jordan Walker probably provides the same mixture of offensive uncertainty and poorly-graded defense. And Walker is a decade younger than Castellanos.
It is interesting to consider some former Cardinals. Tommy Pham, already a Cardinal twice, is a free agent. Randal Grichuck—who spent parts of four seasons in St. Louis to begin his career—has traditionally hit left-handed pitching well, so maybe he could be a platoon partner for Lars Nootbaar. The aforementioned O'Neill could be an option via trade, especially if the Orioles would attach a prospect.
Additionally, left-hander JoJo Romero might be someone teams continue to make inquiries on this spring. He posted a 2.07 ERA across 65 games last season and is entering his contract year.
Washington Nationals
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Like the Cardinals, the Nationals are looking towards the future. Even still, they are a club who could sign a remaining veteran this spring, hoping they bounce back and become a trade candidate this summer.
The starting pitching market is moving quickly, but with uncertainty surrounding the durability of Josiah Gray and Cade Cavalli, new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni could still stand to add another veteran arm.
A Verlander-esque return from Max Scherzer probably isn't in the cards, but Buehler, Jose Quintana, Chris Bassitt and Zak Littell are all veteran free agents that will likely only require a one-year commitment. Don't underestimate how much value the presence of a pitcher like that can provide for a young starting staff.
A right-handed hitter capable of playing at first base—where Luis García Jr. is currently penciled in at—could also make sense. Hoskins and Justin Turner are two names that Washington might consider.
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