From potential two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, to less heralded stars like Freddy Peralta and Jarren Duran, a lot of important pieces are on the potential MLB offseason trade market right now. Plenty of front offices are incentivized to operate aggressively as free agent prices explode league-wide and two high-spending, big-market clubs battle in the World Series. Trades can be the only path to adding needle-moving talent before a player's salary balloons, even more so than free agency.
FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray recently outlined 10 trade candidates he's hearing chatter about in the lead-up to the offseason. Let's go through each of them and outline their best landing spots — and their worst.
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C Joey Bart, Pittsburgh Pirates
Best fit: Boston Red Sox
Worst fit: Philadelphia Phillies
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft, Joey Bart certainly boasts intriguing pedigree for a potential buy-low candidate. He's probably not the full-time catcher on a contender, but he mashed against lefities this season (.891 OPS vs. LHP) and could bring valuable platoon chops to the right situation.
The Boston Red Sox couldn't find much offense at the catcher position last season and their in-house platoon specialist, Rob Refsnyder, is a free agent. Bart can give them valuable depth and situational offense, even if he's soaking up a few DH reps from Masataka Yoshida.
The Philadelphia Phillies, on the other hand, should not view Bart as a potential JT Realmuto replacement. He's a bad defender and platooning him with Garrett Stubbs, Rafael Marchán or another middling bat would not bode well.
RHP Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins
Best fit: Milwaukee Brewers
Worst fit: Los Angeles Dodgers
Edward Cabrera survived the trade deadline in South Beach, but it feels like the Miami Marlins will explore the market against this winter. The 27-year-old is coming off of his best full season to date, posting a 3.53 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 26 starts. The sinker-baller pitches well to contact, but he gets plenty of swing-and-miss with his robust off-speed arsenal, too — not to mention an upper-90s fastball he can dial up when needed.
The Milwaukee Brewers could part with Freddy Peralta this offseason, opening the door for Cabrera to step into an immediate role of consequence. Under club control through 2027, Cabrera fits Milwaukee's future-focused (and budget conscious) timeline. The Brewers develop in-house talent as well as any team in MLB.
That said, while the Los Angeles Dodgers could add to their talent surplus with a Cabrera trade, he'd be under immense pressure. Given his history of injuries and inconsistency, it seems unwise to send Cabrera to a team where he will get pushed to the periphery of the rotation if (or when) he hits a bump in the road. The Dodgers, at full strength, are just too deep for Cabrera to feel secure in his role.
RHP Sandy Alcántara, Miami Marlins
Best fit: Chicago Cubs
Worst fit: New York Yankees
This season as a tale of two halves for Sandy Alcántara in his return from Tommy John surgery. He finished July with an abysmal 6.36 ERA, but put up a more respectable 3.70 ERA across 10 starts in August and September. A Cy Young winner just three years ago, the upside with Alcántara — still 30 years old and under club control through 2027 — is significant.
The Chicago Cubs could really use an affordable, controllable right-handed ace to balance out the pitching staff next to Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele and Shōta Imanaga. There's downside, sure, but this feels like a move well within Jed Hoyer's price range as Chicago looks to shore up its biggest postseason weakness.
For the New York Yankees, it just feels like too much risk. New York has the financial wherewithal to aim higher, for one. And two, Alcántara does not need the crushing pressure of Yankee Stadium as he attempts to revive a career on the brink. Factor in the (recent) injury history of Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Max Fried, and the Yankees might want to opt for an ace with a higher floor.
OF Nick Castellanos, Philadelphia Phillies
Best fit: Pittsburgh Pirates
Worst fit: New York Yankees
Nick Castellanos hit rock bottom this season for the Phillies. He swing completely fell apart down the stretch and he was quite possibly the worst regular defender in MLB. As the Phillies began to fade Casty late in the season, he butted heads with Rob Thomson and was rather explicit in voicing his frustration. All this has led to Castellanos being a prime trade candidate — if the Phils can even find a taker.
The odds of the Pittsburgh Pirates making Castellanos their highest-paid player are slim to none, but it's a fit in theory. This Pirates team desperately needs offense and Casty's one-year contract could placate a financially anxious Bob Nutting. He's not going to single-handedly alter Pittsburgh's fate, but a slightly more consistent offensive campaign from Castellanos, switching between right field and DH, could give Pittsburgh some useful pop in the middle of the lineup.
As for the Yankees... let's not. New York could lose both Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger to free agency, but what the Yankees need most of all is a) quality defense and b) fundamentally sound players. Castellanos is neither. New York can afford the lofty contract and potentially benefit from Castellanos' bat if he locks in, but the fit borders on catastrophic.
OF Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
Best fit: Philadelphia Phillies
Worst fit: New York Yankees
The Boston Red Sox appear ready to commit to Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu as their outfield of the future, which leaves Jarren Duran on the outside looking in. He's an incredible hitter (albeit less incredible in the field) and is still just 28 years old, under contract through 2028. So there will be a strong market for his services, and Boston won't sell low.
Few teams need offense in the outfield more than Philadelphia. Some of Duran's defensive issues might spook Phillies fans, but put him in Casty's spot in right field and just about anything is an upgrade. Duran has a canon for an arm, so he should handle that corner well. If the Phils re-sign Harrison Bader, call up Justin Crawford, and platoon Brandon Marsh in various spots, suddenly the offense is a real strength. Duran is basically an optimized version of Max Kepler.
And, no, the Yankees won't be the worst fit for every player. And yeah, Boston definitely doesn't want to send Duran to the Bronx. But for a team in potential need of outfield bats, Duran could make some sense at first blush. But dig deeper, and the defensive concerns — especially if Aaron Judge and Jasson Domínguez start full-time in the corners — are just too great to accommodate Duran's inconsistent effort in center field.
RHP Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals
Best fit: New York Mets
Worst fit: Arizona Diamondbacks
The St. Louis Cardinals are ready to embark on a full rebuild under new president Chaim Bloom. That puts 35-year-old Sonny Gray squarely in the trade rumor crosshairs. This past season was a slog for Gray (4.28 ERA in 32 starts), but he was the second-place Cy Young finisher with Minnesota just two years ago. He could bounce back in a better situation.
Enter the New York Mets, who are rich enough to absorb Gray's contract (and rich enough to pick up his 2027 club option if he performs up to par). New York has a lot of promising arm talent coming up through the farm system, but as things stand, they need at least one more solid vet to stabilize things and provide leadership. Gray could be the perfect fit.
That said, as Gray ages into his late 30s, there is downside to a trade, especially as a potential one-year rental at his price point. The Arizona Diamondbacks need dependable arms after last season, as Zac Gallen is a free agent and Corbin Burnes will be coming back from Tommy John surgery. Gray could deliver, but if he takes another step back or, god forbid, if he gets hurt, Arizona will be left in another unfortunate pickle. The D'Backs need youth and dependability on the mound.
2B Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Best fit: Toronto Blue Jays
Worst fit: Houston Astros
The Diamondbacks shouldn't trade Ketel Marte, but if rumblings of the organization's dissatisfaction boil over, the perennial All-Star and potential MVP candidate could hit the market. Marte was dominant this season despite all that went wrong in Phoenix, finishing with an .893 OPS and 28 home runs in 126 games. He can dramatically change a team's competitive outlook.
Why not send him to the current AL champs from up North? Bo Bichette is a free agent, which could leave a gaping hole in the middle infield for the Toronto Blue Jays. Andrés Giménez and Ernie Clement are enjoying monster postseasons, but Marte can slide in comfortably at second base and provide another electric bat in front of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the league's deepest and most disciplined offense.
The Houston Astros are another big(ish) market club potentially in search of more star-power, but Marte doesn't really present a clean fit positionally. Put him at second base and Jose Altuve is back in the outfield, where he struggled in 2025. Put Marte at short, and it becomes a question of what to do with Carlos Correa and Isaac Paredes. Put Marte in the outfield, and you're just banking on him at a position where he isn't his strongest. Houston should probably allocate resources elsewhere (or make a few preceding moves before knocking on Arizona's door).
LHP Mackenzie Gore, Washington Nationals
Best fit: Baltimore Orioles
Worst fit: Chicago Cubs
Mackenzie Gore didn't take the leap Washington Nationals fans hoped for this season. Under team control through 2027, now seems like the time to trade him for max value if the Nats aren't going to cough up an extension. Plenty of teams should take interest in the hard-throwing southpaw, who boasts elite strikeout stuff and already has an All-Star berth under his belt at 26 years old.
The Baltimore Orioles need a workhorse ace as bad as any team in MLB. Last season was probably an aberration, as this O's offense should wake up quickly with a healthy Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. But the pitching staff is a concern. Even if the O's have better injury luck in 2026, Gore has the potential to start Game 1 of a playoff series and brings a level of upside and durability (and control) Baltimore should covet after the failed Corbin Burnes rental.
Chicago also needs help on the mound, but Gore (4.17 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 30 starts this season) can run hot or cold. He's also a lefty, and Chicago has its fill of left-handed starters between Boyd, Steele and Imanaga. Just for the sake of balance, the Cubs should probably pursue a righty with a higher floor, even if Gore's ceiling is tantalizing for any contender.
RHP Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers
Best fit: Chicago Cubs
Worst fit: Baltimore Orioles
Freddy Peralta is a dominant, Cy Young-level ace who'd fit anywhere. There isn't really a "bad" fit here. But after an excellent season for the No. 1 seed Brewers, it sounds like Peralta is on the block. He's in the final year of his contract and could deliver a massive prospect haul for Milwaukee (plus an incredible boost in World Series odds to his next team).
This is the level Chicago should be operating on. Peralta's future is murky, but if the Cubs can't come to terms on a new deal with Kyle Tucker, those resources could (in theory) be rerouted toward locking up Peralta long term. He's 29 and has 30-plus starts in his last three seasons. The Cubs can set and forget Peralta as their No. 1 starter and benefit from their improved depth once Steele returns from his elbow injury. We shall see if Milwaukee even considers trading Peralta in the division, though.
As for Baltimore, of course Peralta helps. He gives the O's a far more dependable No. 1 starter than anyone else currently on the roster. But he's also a rental, much in the same way that Burnes was two years ago. The O's are not going to pay up for a Peralta extension, so unless Baltimore can win it all, it just feels like a misallocation of resources when younger arms with more control (and lower salaries) are also available.
LHP Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
Best fit: Boston Red Sox
Worst fit: San Diego Padres
The Detroit Tigers need to extend Tarik Skubal. He's the cornerstone of the franchise, and Detroit has too often let all-time great pitchers slip through the cracks in free agency. But assuming Detroit isn't comfortable running up the tab to $400 million, trading Skubal for a haul before he walks scot-free is the only correct strategy.
Enter the Red Sox, who desperately need another ace to anchor the rotation next to Garrett Crochet. There are none better than Skubal. Boston would effectively have the two most dominant pitchers in the AL — two power-throwing southpaws with relentless confidence and who exhibit incredible poise under pressure. Boston also has the resources, it seems, to earnestly negotiate with Skubal in free agency. Skubal and Crochet, supported by a young lineup that should explode as Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and others come into their own, is one heck of a concept.
The San Diego Padres, meanwhile, would obviously benefit from adding Skubal. That team needs pitching and Skubal is the only ace in MLB who can challenge Paul Skenes on any given night. But how long does it hold up? AJ Preller is on an expiring contract and an ownership dispute has tied his hands financially. The Padres almost emptied their farm system at the trade deadline. If San Diego trades what's left of their elite prospects for Skubal and by some miracle re-signs him, he will still be stuck with an aging core and a farm system that is not strong enough to supplement and sustain winning over time. It would be like a sinking ship trading all its life vests for a top captain. He can help for a while, but that ship is still sinking eventually. Then what?