10 Early MLB Standouts Emerging as Sell-High Trade Chips
Whether to sell high on a player outperforming expectations or hold onto a player on the rise is one of the toughest needles for any MLB front office to thread over the course of the season.
For non-contenders or clubs focused on rebuilding, the decision is a bit easier, but it's still a question of when the right time is to pull the trigger on a deal.
Ahead we have highlighted 10 early standouts from the 2026 season who are emerging as sell-high trade chips.
SP Foster Griffin, Washington Nationals
1 of 10
Stats: 8 GS, 2.12 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 15 BB, 42 K, 46.2 IP
Contract Status: Signed through 2026
Left-hander Foster Griffin was the No. 28 overall pick in the 2014 draft and a top prospect in the Royals system for years, but things never clicked stateside and he signed with Japan's Yomiuri Giants for the 2023 season.
Over three seasons in the Japanese League, he logged a 2.57 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 318 strikeouts in 315.2 innings. That earned him another MLB shot as the Nationals inked him to a one-year, $5.5 million deal in December.
With a fastball that averages 91.4 mph, he relies more on deception than stuff, and his 4.08 FIP speaks to some likely regression. That coupled with his rental status makes him an obvious trade chip, and even with a step backward he could still plug in nicely as a No. 3/4 option on a contender's staff.
SP Clay Holmes, New York Mets
2 of 10
Stats: 8 GS, 1.86 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 16 BB, 37 K, 48.1 IP
Contract Status: Signed through 2026
The Mets signed Clay Holmes to a two-year, $26 million deal prior to the 2025 season, hoping he could be the latest reliever-turned-starter success story as they took an outside-the-box approach to building their rotation.
The former Yankees closer had a solid first season, posting a 3.53 ERA in 165.2 innings while making 31 starts, though his 18.2 percent strikeout rate ranked 96th out of 127 pitchers who worked at least 100 innings.
He is headed for free agency next season, provided he opts against exercising a $12 million player option, making him an obvious trade candidate for the struggling Mets. With a 1.86 ERA that ranks second among qualified NL starters, his stock may never be higher.
3B Josh Jung, Texas Rangers
3 of 10
Stats: 152 PA, 168 OPS+, .331/.382/.525, 17 XBH (5 HR)
Contract Status: Arbitration-eligible through 2028
Following an inconsistent 2025 season where he was briefly optioned to the minors and finished with a .251/.294/.390 line over 511 plate appearances, Josh Jung was a popular speculative trade candidate this past offseason.
The Rangers ended up holding onto the former All-Star Game starter, and he has been their most productive hitter and one of the best offensive third basemen in baseball to open the year.
There was some logic to trading him to create a path for top prospect Sebastian Walcott before he went down with a season-ending injury. It still might be in the Rangers' best interest to sell high and turn the page at the hot corner.
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SP Nick Martinez, Tampa Bay Rays
4 of 10
Stats: 8 GS, 1.70 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 10 BB, 31 K, 47.2 IP
Contract Status: Signed through 2026
Veteran Nick Martinez was an invaluable swingman for the Padres and Reds for four seasons following his return from a stint in Japan, filling a variety of roles on the staff from workhorse starter to back-end reliever.
Despite his versatility, his free agency stretched in February this past offseason before he agreed to a one-year, $14 million deal with the Rays, and that is shaping up to be an absolute steal.
It might seem odd to include a Tampa Bay player in this conversation given their early success, but they are an organization that has always taken an opportunistic approach to the trade market. If the right opportunity comes along to bolster the offense for the stretch run, don't rule out Martinez as a candidate to be flipped if he continues to deal.
OF Mickey Moniak, Colorado Rockies
5 of 10
Stats: 129 PA, 164 OPS+, .303/.349/.655, 19 XBH (11 HR)
Contract Status: Arbitration-eligible through 2027
There are post-hype sleepers, and then there are guys who have long been written off as busts who come out the other side as productive big leaguers. Mickey Moniak is a prime example of that second category.
The 2016 No. 1 overall pick by the Phillies, he failed to establish himself in Philadelphia, then turned in a couple of modestly productive seasons with the Angels before being released just prior to Opening Day a year ago.
Colorado scooped him up a few days later, and he logged a 116 OPS+ with 24 home runs over a career-high 461 plate appearances. Now everything seems to be clicking, as he leads the NL with a .655 slugging percentage.
For a Rockies team going nowhere, selling high with a year and a half of control remaining is the best way to maximize his value.
1B Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox
6 of 10
Stats: 173 PA, 155 OPS+, .232/.364/.556, 16 XBH (15 HR)
Contract Status: Signed through 2027
Why in the world would the White Sox trade away a budding star and the most exciting player on the roster?
Behind those 15 home runs and the impressive 155 OPS+ is a staggering 60 strikeouts in 40 games, for a 34.7 percent strikeout rate that is the fourth-highest mark among all qualified hitters. The league is inevitably going to make adjustments, and when it does, that number could climb even higher.
Looking at the bigger picture, the White Sox are in an unenviable spot. If he continues to rake, he likely leaves for greener pastures once his two-year, $34 million deal is over. Should he regress significantly, they failed to capitalize on his peak amid an ongoing rebuild.
SP Bailey Ober, Minnesota Twins
7 of 10
Stats: 8 GS, 4.19 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 15 BB, 32 K, 43.0 IP
Contract Status: Arbitration-eligible through 2027
Bailey Ober is not far removed from a pair of 3-WAR seasons, including a 2024 peak when he posted a 3.98 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 191 strikeouts in 178.2 innings.
His ERA ballooned to 5.10 last season as he simply missed fewer bats, but he's back pitching at a solid level this year while leaning more heavily on his signature changeup, throwing the pitch 35.5 percent of the time and limiting opposing hitters to a .180 average with it.
For a Twins team stuck in the dreaded gray area between full-scale rebuild and fringe contention, he's a logical trade chip given his limited remaining control and return to productive form.
IF Casey Schmitt, San Francisco Giants
8 of 10
Stats: 133 PA, 140 OPS+, .285/.331/.512, 15 XBH (6 HR)
Contract Status: Arbitration-eligible through 2029
Casey Schmitt was a quietly productive role player for the Giants the past two seasons, posting a 104 OPS+ over 461 plate appearances while starting double-digit games at all four infield positions.
This season, he leads San Francisco in OPS+ (140) and home runs (6), and career-best batted-ball metrics across the board back up his strong surface-level production.
After the surprise early trade of catcher Patrick Bailey, it feels like the Giants are open for business. Veterans Robbie Ray and Luis Arraez are their most obvious trade chips, but selling high on Schmitt could net a significant return.
RP Antonio Senzatela, Colorado Rockies
9 of 10
Stats: 11 G, 2/2 SV, 1.11 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, 24.1 IP
Contract Status: Signed through 2026
There's a solid case to be made that Antonio Senzatela was the worst pitcher in baseball last season, struggling to a 6.65 ERA and 1.84 WHIP in 130 innings while tallying more earned runs allowed (96) than strikeouts (73).
Owed $12 million in the final season of a five-year, $50.5 million deal, the Rockies opted to move him to the bullpen this year to try to squeeze something out of that investment, and the new role has worked wonders.
His fastball velocity has spiked (95.0 to 97.1 mph), and he is leaning on his cutter as a go-to secondary pitch. The 31-year-old will be an in-demand trade chip if the Rockies are willing to absorb some cash, and he comes with the added bonus of a $14 million club option for next year that does not carry a buyout.
1B Christian Walker, Houston Astros
10 of 10
Stats: 167 PA, 142 OPS+, .282/.353/.523, 18 XBH (9 HR)
Contract Status: Signed through 2027
After a terrific run with the Diamondbacks, Christian Walker inked a three-year, $60 million deal with the Astros and immediately looked like a sunk cost in a disappointing first year in Houston.
The 35-year-old hit .238/.297/.421 for a 97 OPS+ with 0.2 WAR in 154 games, logging a career-high 27.7 percent strikeout rate in the process.
With his batted-ball metrics back to their previous levels and his counting numbers following suit, he has effectively rebuilt his stock as one of the better all-around first basemen in the game. If a struggling Astros team wants to get out from under his contract, now is his time.
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