Each MLB Team's Most Untouchable Trade Chip
The premise here centers around one simple question: Which player would an MLB organization be most unwilling to include in a realistic trade conversation?
That gives us plenty of flexibility for who gets the nod for each team, but right off the top eliminates franchise players like Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. and others. Simply put, there are no realistic trade conversations surrounding those players.
It also takes recently extended up-and-comers like Jackson Chourio, Kevin McGonigle and other obvious long-term building blocks signed to team-friendly deals off the table. Those guys are not going anywhere.
What's left is a collection of established young stars and pre-arbitration players that have taken the leap from prospects to impact performers, and that group makes up the game's most untouchable trade chips.
AL East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: SS Gunnar Henderson
Arbitration-eligible through 2028
The Orioles stumbled to a 75-87 record last season on the heels of consecutive playoff appearances, and they are off to a slow start again this season, which could mean a retooling on the horizon. Despite his tremendous trade value and steadily approaching free agency, Henderson still looks more like a long-term piece than a player they would consider moving in an effort to reshape the roster.
Boston Red Sox: LHP Payton Tolle
Arbitration-eligible through 2031
Tolle took his lumps as a late-season call-up last year, but he is showing this season why he was the consensus top arm in the Boston system. With a 2.05 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 30.2 innings through five starts, he's pitching like a future ace. It's hard to imagine the Red Sox parting with a guy who has a chance to be their best homegrown starter since Jon Lester.
New York Yankees: RHP Cam Schlittler
Arbitration-eligible through 2031
Even if Aaron Judge were not excluded from the conversation due to his long-term contract, there's a case to be made that Schlittler is the single most valuable asset on the roster. He is 25 years old, has five years of club control remaining after this season, and is currently pitching to a 1.35 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 60.0 innings while looking like the AL version of Paul Skenes.
Tampa Bay Rays: 3B Junior Caminero
Arbitration-eligible through 2030
Never say never with the Rays, but if anyone is going to get the Evan Longoria-style long-term extension to be the face of the franchise in Tampa Bay, Caminero is the obvious candidate. His 45-homer, 110-RBI performance last season benefitted from playing home games in a minor league ballpark, but he has erased any concerns of significant regression with a hot start while shifting back to Tropicana Field.
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Trey Yesavage
Arbitration-eligible through 2031
With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed long-term, the conversation here shifts to one of the few up-and-comers on a veteran roster. After posting a 3.58 ERA in 27.2 innings last postseason while shining on the sport's biggest stage, he has picked up right where he left off after missing time early with a shoulder impingement. With Kevin Gausman headed for free agency, he will be a key cog atop the rotation going forward.
AL Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: SS Colson Montgomery
Arbitration-eligible through 2031
With breakout slugger Munetaka Murakami signed for just two years before he can again test the open market and aim for greener pastures, Montgomery is the clear choice for the White Sox. After slugging 21 homers as a rookie, he has a 139 OPS+ with 13 home runs and 1.7 WAR through his first 45 games in 2026.
Cleveland Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
The early success of Chase DeLauter makes this an interesting debate, but Williams is a controllable frontline starter who has potentially still not reached his peak. The 26-year-old had a 2.18 ERA in 12 starts after the All-Star break last season, and he is now the clear ace of the staff in Cleveland.
Detroit Tigers: OF Riley Greene
Arbitration-eligible through 2028
Since rookie phenom Kevin McGonigle is already locked up, the focus shifts to a more established star. After a 36-homer, 111-RBI season last year, Greene is hitting .320/.410/.473 for a 149 OPS+ through 195 plate appearances this season. Even with some likely regression, he is the most important run producer in the middle of their lineup and just now in his first year of arbitration.
Kansas City Royals: OF Jac Caglianone
Arbitration-eligible through 2031
Caglianone has taken a step forward this season after a lackluster debut last year, posting a 109 OPS+ with 13 extra-base hits in 148 plate appearances. He possesses the highest offensive ceiling in the organization outside of Bobby Witt Jr., and his track record dating back to the University of Florida suggests there is a lot more to come.
Minnesota Twins: None
Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan would both be untouchable pieces for a lot of contending teams, but for a directionless Twins organization they might be two of the most valuable trade chips on the block this summer. Once top prospect Walker Jenkins debuts, he will fit the bill, but focusing solely on MLB talent there's not an untouchable player on the Minnesota roster.
AL West
3 of 6
Athletics: C Shea Langeliers
Arbitration-eligible through 2028
With a .337/.396/.609 line and 12 home runs among his AL-leading 57 hits, Langeliers has been the best catcher in baseball this season. With the Athletics no longer simply churning talent following early extensions for Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler and Jacob Wilson, it's safe to assume he is not going anywhere.
Houston Astros: RHP Hunter Brown
Arbitration-eligible through 2028
If the Astros blow it up and rebuild, Yordan Alvarez would be quite the blockbuster trade chip, while Jeremy Peña would also be in-demand. The only piece that looks truly untouchable, aside from Astros lifer Jose Altuve, is Brown in the role of staff ace. He is young enough to be a part of their next contender, even if they do take a few years to retool.
Los Angeles Angels: SS Zach Neto
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
There is a good debate to be had here. Neto has turned in back-to-back 5.1-WAR seasons at shortstop before getting off to a slow start this year, while right-hander José Soriano has been one of the biggest breakout stars of 2026 while pitching like a legitimate ace. The volatility of pitching and Neto's longer track record of production makes him the pick, but it's extremely close.
Seattle Mariners: RHP Bryan Woo
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
With Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh and recently promoted Colt Emerson already extended, the focus shifts to the Mariners terrific starting rotation. Woo is the youngest of the bunch with the most remaining club control, and he also had the best season of any of their starters last year when he finished fifth in AL Cy Young balloting.
Texas Rangers: OF Wyatt Langford
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
After a 4.2-WAR debut and a 5.6-WAR follow-up, Langford has already established himself as one of the most valuable outfielders in baseball. He has been sidelined since late April with a flexor strain in his right forearm, which is often a precursor to Tommy John surgery in pitchers. Regardless, the Rangers are highly unlikely to sell high or sell low on the 24-year-old five-tool talent.
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NL East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: C Drake Baldwin
Arbitration-eligible through 2030
After taking home NL Rookie of the Year honors last season, Baldwin is hitting .301/.385/.543 for a 162 OPS+ with 13 home runs and 38 RBI in 47 games. The 25-year-old is also a solid defensive backstop, and that complete package at a premium position makes him as untouchable as anyone on the roster.
Miami Marlins: SS Otto Lopez
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
While "None" was a tempting answer here, Lopez has done enough to deserve the untouchable tag for a Marlins team building back toward respectability. After a quiet 3.5-WAR season in 2025 when he shifted from second base to shortstop, he is batting .344/.374/.503 with an NL-leading 63 hits. His elite defense gives him a strong foundation, and his budding offensive game makes him a cornerstone.
New York Mets: RHP Nolan McLean
Arbitration-eligible through 2031
With 17 big league starts under his belt dating back to his Aug. 16, 2025 debut, McLean is 7-3 with a 2.51 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 121 strikeouts in 100.1 innings. He was given the star treatment as a member of Team USA's rotation in the World Baseball Classic, and with Freddy Peralta headed for free agency after the 2026 season, he is the ace-in-waiting for the Mets.
Philadelphia Phillies: None
The Phillies currently have Cristopher Sánchez, Kyle Schwarber, Zack Wheeler, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola and Jesús Luzardo all signed to long-term deals, leaving them without a viable high-profile trade candidate. It's highly unlikely they would sell low on right-hander Andrew Painter, but he has also not done enough so far to be deemed untouchable.
Washington Nationals: OF James Wood
Arbitration-eligible through 2030
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore was traded during the offseason and shortstop CJ Abrams remains a popular hypothetical trade candidate, but Wood looks like the player the Nationals plan to build around. Still only 23 years old, his raw power stacks up to anyone in baseball, and with a spike in his walk rate (12.3 to 17.6 percent) he has taken another step toward his high strikeout rate becoming fully palatable.
NL Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: DH/C Moisés Ballesteros
Arbitration-eligible through 2031
After handing out extensions to Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner during the offseason, the Cubs offensive core is locked up and the pitching staff does not have a clearly untouchable piece aside from the injured Cade Horton. That leaves Ballesteros, who is making the most of an expanded role this year with a 122 OPS+ and 11 extra-base hits in 120 plate appearances.
Cincinnati Reds: SS Elly De La Cruz
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
De La Cruz will be arbitration-eligible for the first time in 2027, which could kick extension talks into gear next spring. For now, he's one of the best pre-arbitration players in baseball and a rising superstar in the sport. Improved defense at shortstop in the early going shows he is still growing as a player. Do the Reds have the wallet to convince him to stay long-term?
Milwaukee Brewers: 2B Brice Turang
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
With Jackson Chourio already inked to a long-term extension, the debate here is Turang vs. rising ace Jacob Misiorowski, and in all reality both are completely untouchable in any trade talks. Turang has transformed himself from a glove-first infielder to a well-rounded star, hitting .288/.409/.484 for a 151 OPS+ in 2026.
Pittsburgh Pirates: SP Paul Skenes
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
If no record-setting, long-term extension comes to pass in the next few years, Skenes trade talks will dominate the MLB landscape. For now, he's not going anywhere, especially with the Pirates trending up this season and the front office finally investing some money in a competent offense.
St. Louis Cardinals: OF Jordan Walker
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
On the cusp of being labeled a true bust, Walker has broken through this season as one of the best hitters in baseball, with the batted-ball metrics to back up that bold claim. The 23-year-old now looks like the centerpiece of the team's rebuilding efforts, with a .301/.371/.584 line, 13 home runs and 3.0 WAR through 45 games.
NL West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: None
With Corbin Carroll locked up through 2031, the Diamondbacks do not have any up-and-comers that fit the untouchable narrative. Jordan Lawlar and Ryan Waldschmidt are promising young pieces, and catcher Gabriel Moreno would be tough to replace, but none of them quite rise to the level of immovable trade chips.
Colorado Rockies: C Hunter Goodman
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
Goodman earned an All-Star selection and won Silver Slugger honors last year when he posted a 121 OPS+ with 31 home runs and 91 RBI, and he has again been highly productive so far this season. Interestingly, he actually has better numbers on the road than he does at home this season, bucking the usual trend for a Rockies hitter.
Los Angeles Dodgers: OF Andy Pages
Arbitration-eligible through 2030
So much of the Dodgers high-profile core is locked up long-term that the list of candidates to consider is short. However, they do still have a pair of untouchable young pieces in Pages and right-hander Emmet Sheehan. With a .301/.353/.520 line that includes 10 home runs and 41 RBI, Pages has been arguably the team's best hitter in a lineup loaded with eight-figure salaries.
San Diego Padres: RHP Mason Miller
Arbitration-eligible through 2029
Miller is the most dominant pitcher in baseball, with a high-octane fastball that averages 101.3 mph and slider that is generating a comical 71.8 percent whiff rate. He has struck out 44 of the 79 batters he has faced while allowing just 10 hits and two earned runs. The fact that the Padres gave up uber-prospect Leo De Vries to acquire him only increases the likelihood he is staying put.
San Francisco Giants: RHP Landen Roupp
Arbitration-eligible through 2030
If the unexpected Patrick Bailey trade is any indication, the Giants could put the untouchable tag to the test this summer if they are unable to climb back into contention. However, Roupp is an emerging piece they will likely cling to, with a 3.49 ERA backed by a 2.67 FIP through 49 innings, and a spike in his strikeout rate from 21.4 to 28.9 percent.
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