10 MLB Players Who Could Still Be Traded Before 2027 Opening Day
The 2026 MLB trade deadline saw multiple blockbuster deals, though most moves centered around rental players headed for free agency this winter, including new Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Tarik Skubal.
Catcher Adley Rutschman did provide one marquee trade of a controllable talent when he was sent from the Orioles to the Red Sox, and more deals for players with multiple years of control remaining could be coming this offseason.
The looming CBA negotiations and a potential lockout could throw a wrench into things, but for now let's highlight 10 players who stayed put at the deadline but could still be on the move before 2027 Opening Day.
SS CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals
1 of 10
Age: 25
Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2028
Stats: 116 G, 147 OPS+, 53 XBH (28 HR), 4.4 WAR
The Nationals have been one of baseball's most improved teams this season, hovering around the .500 mark into August a year after they finished 66-96 in the NL East cellar.
Still not ready to legitimately contend despite being a team on the rise, they flipped first baseman Luis Garcรญa Jr. and starter Foster Griffin at the deadline, but stopped short of moving CJ Abrams who is enjoying a career year.
If the Nationals front office does not believe there is a realistic path to keeping Abrams around beyond 2028, flipping him this winter could be a major step toward building a future contender.
C William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers
2 of 10
Age: 28
Contract: $15.5 million club option for 2027
Stats: 109 G, 98 OPS+, 29 XBH (11 HR), 1.3 WAR
The Brewers have set a clear precedent of trading away their star players a year before free agency if they don't see a path to a long-term extension, with Freddy Peralta, Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader among the notable recent examples.
A two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner in his four seasons in Milwaukee, catcher William Contreras has been one of the team's most important players, but a major payday likely awaits him in free agency.
The move to buy-low on Bo Naylor in a trade deadline deal with Cleveland could be a hint that Contreras is not expected to be around long-term.
SP Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels
3 of 10
Age: 27
Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2028
Stats: 23 GS, 4.12 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 150 K, 129.0 IP, 1.8 WAR
With the 2026 Angels on track for the worst record in franchise history and the ball rolling on a rebuild after controllable players Josรฉ Soriano, Jo Adell and Ryan Zeferjahn were traded, there's no reason for them to stop dismantling the roster now.
Left-hander Reid Detmers was mentioned alongside Soriano on the pre-deadline rumor mill, and he has been terrific in his return to starting this year after pitching exclusively out of the bullpen in 2025.
His 28.3 percent strikeout rate ranks 11th among qualified starters, and it's reasonable to think he will command an even bigger haul than Soriano, who brought back consensus Top 100 prospect Arjun Nimmala from the Blue Jays.
C Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies
4 of 10
Age: 26
Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2029
Stats: 108 G, 122 OPS+, 50 XBH (34 HR), 2.4 WAR
The Rockies' perennial need for pitching means they have to at least entertain the idea of moving Hunter Goodman if the payoff is improving a staff that again ranks dead-last in the majors with a 5.48 ERA.
His remaining club control and strong road productionโ.912 OPS with 19 home runs, compared with an .817 OPS and 15 homers at Coors Fieldโshould keep his asking price extremely high.
It's unlikely a Gold Glove is in his future, but he's a passable defensive catcher with a true middle-of-the-order bat. That's a rare breed in today's game, which means there might be someone willing to offer up a king's ransom.
2B Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles
5 of 10
Age: 22
Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2030
Stats: 66 G, 111 OPS+, 14 XBH (6 HR), 1.0 WAR
Jackson Holliday was an unexpected addition to the pre-deadline rumor mill, but after the Orioles sent Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox in a surprise blockbuster, it's clear change is coming in Baltimore.
Still only 22 years old and not far removed from being the consensus No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, Holliday is quietly putting together the best season of his young career since returning from a broken hamate bone that cost him the first 48 games.
Holliday, a former No. 1 overall pick with four years of club control remaining, has already shown he can be a productive big leaguer. He will not come cheap. But he has more untapped upside than any other player who could realistically be on the move.
OF Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
6 of 10
Age: 28
Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2027
Stats: 109 G, 99 OPS+, 18 XBH (2 HR), 3.1 WAR
With four consecutive Gold Glove awards and 19.8 WAR playing in his fifth big league season, Steven Kwan has proven there is a path to significant value in today's game even without elite power.
His strong showing in center field this yearโ442 innings, 5 Defensive Runs Saved and 6 Outs Above Averageโhas further boosted his value as a potential trade chip. But with his $7.73 million salary likely to rise above $10 million in his final arbitration year, his time in Cleveland could be nearing its end.
The Guardians are currently operating with the lowest payroll in baseball at just over $78 million. Kwan has undoubtedly been valuable, but organizational history suggests he will likely be on the move this winter after plenty of rumblings in the past.
RP Mason Miller, San Diego Padres
7 of 10
Age: 27
Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2029
Stats: 47 G, 29/30 SV, 0.91 ERA, 16.6 K/9, 2.8 WAR
With a fastball that averages 101.5 mph and a slider generating an absurd 54.9 percent whiff rate, Mason Miller is the most overpowering pitcher on the planet, and he has already been at the center of one blockbuster trade.
If not for the fact that the Padres won eight of nine heading into deadline day, Miller might already be wearing a different uniform, despite the fact that San Diego just traded for him a year ago and sent uber-prospect Leo De Vries the other way in the deal.
With three years of club control remaining, this is not a take-the-best-offer situation, but Miller is an elite-level talent. If he is legitimately on the block, someone will be willing to pay a premium.
SS Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels
8 of 10
Age: 25
Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2029
Stats: 115 G, 107 OPS+, 45 XBH (20 HR), 2.3 WAR
The logic that applied to Reid Detmers also applies to shortstop Zach Neto: Why would the Angels stop now after trading away multiple controllable pieces at the deadline, kick-starting a long overdue rebuild in the process?
With back-to-back 5-WAR seasons in the books and a third straight 20-homer season already banked, Neto has quietly become one of baseball's most valuable shortstops.
His AL-leading 165 strikeouts and sub-par .311 on-base percentage could give some teams pause, but he's a perennial 20/20 threat at a premium position with three years of control remaining. There's not a more valuable trade chip on the roster if the Angels truly want to strip it to the studs.
SS Jeremy Peรฑa, Houston Astros
9 of 10
Age: 28
Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2027
Stats: 71 G, 137 OPS+, 26 XBH (13 HR), 3.2 WAR
With Jose Altuve, Jeremy Peรฑa, Carlos Correa and Isaac Paredes all vying for playing time on the Houston infield alongside first baseman Christian Walker, the Astros were at the center of plenty of trade rumors last offseason.
They ultimately kept all four guys, and with Correa (32 games) and Peรฑa (71 games) both missing significant time the logjam has not been an issue.
However, Peรฑa is one year from free agency, and his decision to hire Scott Boras last June could fuel speculation that he plans to test the market.
Paredes remains a trade candidate as well, but Peรฑa is the more valuable chip.
SP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins
10 of 10
Age: 30
Contract: Arbitration-eligible through 2027
Stats: 23 GS, 3.65 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 138 K, 125.2 IP, 1.9 WAR
Franchise centerpieces Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan have been frequently discussed as hypothetical trade candidates since a 2025 trade deadline fire sale that saw the Twins gut the active roster and eat significant salary to ship out Carlos Correa.
Starting next year, Buxton's full no-trade clause becomes a five-team no-trade list for the final two seasons of his seven-year, $100 million deal, but Ryan remains the more likely trade candidate this winter.
An All-Star in 2025 and 2026, he has emerged as one of the top starters in the American League, and the Twins could have a tough time convincing him to stick around once free agency arrives after the 2027 season.
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