The combination of a relatively thin free agent class (Tarik Skubal notwithstanding, of course) and a potential salary cap has teams cautious about spending big on the open market — and could lead to much more trade activity than we're used to seeing. It also helps that it's a very, very target-rich environment, with tons of big names who could be available if their teams decide to rebuild or simply need to cut some payroll.
No matter where in the contention cycle your favorite team finds itself, there's likely a deal to be made this winter. So let's take the lay of the land, by identifying 30 of the best trade chips in the league and which landing spots make the most sense.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Ketel Marte
- Landing spot: Rays
The Diamondbacks have remained coy on what their plan ultimately is for Marte, but it sure seems like the writing is on the wall after this past season went totally off the rails. In a market desperate for impact infield talent, Arizona still has a chance to cash in, and they're probably ready to take advantage of it rather than risk another headache — or simple age-related decline. Tampa has a need up the middle and has payroll space to fit what is still a very team-friendly deal.
Athletics: C Shea Langeliers
- Landing spot: Yankees
The A's should simply hold on to Langeliers, who's still two years away from free agency, and commit money to rebuilding their pitching staff. If they opt to sell high for young talent, though, there should be no shortage of suitors considering the strides he's made defensively and his prodigious power. The Yankees are at the top of the list as they search for more lineup length and a righty complement to Austin Wells.
Atlanta Braves: SS Tate Southisene
- Landing spot: Mariners
You could also throw any number of young arms in here, from JR Ritchie to AJ Smith-Shawver to Hurston Waldrep to Owen Murphy. But Atlanta needs as much pitching depth as it can get right now given all its injury uncertainty, and pretty much every name above struggled at the big-league level in 2026. So why not Southisene, one of their top prospects, who could serve as the centerpiece for a package that nets them a proven starter like Logan Gilbert?
Baltimore Orioles: SS Gunnar Henderson
- Landing spot: Dodgers
The O's likely don't want to move Henderson, who still has two more years of team control remaining and just had an uncharacteristic season at the plate. If they get off to another slow to start to 2027, though, it's going to become a very real conversation very quickly. The Dodgers could use long-term solutions at both second and third base, and this is exactly the sort of situation they love to pounce on. It would mean the end of an era in Baltimore, but maybe that's necessary anyway.
Boston Red Sox: LHP Jake Bennett
- Landing spot: Angels
What, you were expecting Jarren Duran here after the season he just had? Boston has become a pitching development machine under Craig Breslow, and Bennett has tons of team control remaining after a very promising rookie year. Would the Angels send Zach Neto to Boston for a package built around Bennett and other pieces? It's not the craziest idea, and it would allow the Red Sox to address a major need from a position of strength.
Chicago Cubs: UTIL Matt Shaw
- Landing spot: Mariners
The Cubs have tons of holes to fill, from both outfield corners to pretty much an entire starting rotation. And with the Ricketts family at the helm, money will only take them so far. Shaw is a man without a home given Chicago's crowded infield picture, so why not try to engage a team still enamored with his top-prospect potential? Seattle has tons of homegrown pitching to spare and could really use another position player piece.
Chicago White Sox: SS Billy Carlson
- Landing spot: Marlins
The Sam Antonacci trade buzz has never really made much sense to me, and you'd be selling low on someone like Colson Montgomery. It's time for Chicago to move prospects for MLB-ready pieces, and while Roch Cholowsky and Caleb Bonemer are likely untouchable, Carlson — the team's first-round pick last year — could be a good fit as the White Sox look to bolster their rotation.
Cincinnati Reds: SS Elly De La Cruz
- Landing spot: Red Sox
Is it likely? Of course not. Then again, EDLC is a Scott Boras client, and this Cincinnati front office marches to the beat of its own drum. (Whether that's a good thing or not is ... another question.) And the Reds could get a metric ton in return for their superstar shortstop, so much that they'd probably at least consider pulling the trigger this winter.
Cleveland Guardians: OF Steven Kwan
- Landing spot: Astros
The Guardians always stay one step ahead of free agency, so it's no surprise that Kwan has emerged as a trade candidate entering his walk year. He'd fit at the top of a lot of different orders given his OBP skills and legit defensive chops, as Cleveland hopes that internal improvements from a promising young core can bolster its offense.
Colorado Rockies: C Hunter Goodman
- Landing spot: Pirates
Goodman is a 40-homer bat at a premium position, which is usually the kind of player you want to build around. But Colorado is still years away from relevance, and Goodman's sky-high K rate suggests that maybe the Rockies should sell high now. Plenty of would-be contenders would no doubt be willing to pay a pretty penny for his skill set.
Detroit Tigers: 3B Max Anderson
- Landing spot: Reds
Detroit has any number of post-hype former top prospects it can dangle around the league, from Colt Keith to Spencer Torkelson, but it's unclear what their markets actually are at this point. Anderson is just about big-league-ready and has hit at every level of the Minors while doing enough to get by at the hot corner. He probably doesn't have a long-term home with the Tigers, and plenty of teams would be willing to give him a shot.
Houston Astros: SS Jeremy Peña
- Landing spot: Braves
This one's a pretty easy call. Peña is entering the final year of team control as a Scott Boras client, which means an extension is off the table, and we saw with the Kyle Tucker saga how the Astros want to handle those sorts of situations. This team desperately needs young talent, and cashing in on their shortstop now could be the best thing for the long haul.
Kansas City Royals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino
- Landing spot: D-backs
I'd advise against Kansas City selling low on Pasquatch after what feels like a flukily poor season. Then again, moving him could help replenish a largely barren farm system and allow Jac Caglianone to slot in at a more natural position. With only two years of team control remaining, Pasquantino will become a legit trade candidate if the Royals can't make a playoff push soon, and they can get a lot more now than if they wait until he's a rental next winter.
Los Angeles Angels: LHP Reid Detmers
- Landing spot: Cubs
We're still waiting for clarity as to just who's in charge in Anaheim, but whichever executive winds up calling the shots, a Detmers trade makes too much sense. The Angels are just beginning a lengthy rebuild under new ownership, and the lefty is in high demand around the league with just two years of team control remaining. He won't be part of the next competitive era of Angels baseball, but he could return a foundational piece or two.
Los Angeles Dodgers: OF Mike Sirota
- Landing spot: Orioles
Teoscar Hernandez is the most likely Dodger to be on the move this winter, but they won't get a ton in return given his hefty salary for 2027 and the way his offensive production has declined of late. Los Angeles has more top outfield prospects than it knows what to do with, though, and they could dip back into that pool to fill holes on the infield or in the bullpen. Sirota has done everything he can to earn a shot in the Majors; time to give him the opportunity somewhere else rather than leave him stuck behind Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker and Josue De Paula.
Miami Marlins: SS Otto Lopez
- Landing spot: Tigers
I'd bet against Miami actually moving on from Lopez, given the season he just had and the fact that he's still three years from free agency. That said, he struggled offensively down the stretch, and he doesn't have a long track record of elite production, so maybe selling high is the move? Smoke out of South Beach suggests Peter Bendix is at least open to the possibility, and he could command a haul given the dearth of impact players at premium positions available.
Milwaukee Brewers: RHP Trevor Megill
- Landing spot: Blue Jays
Milwaukee seems to be holding on to William Contreras, but cashing in on their other star entering his walk year feels like a smart move. Relievers are by nature volatile, and Megill is entering his mid-30s with a history of elbow issues. If the Brewers can get something of real value before he walks in free agency next winter, they're perfectly capable of backfilling his production.
Minnesota Twins: RHP Joe Ryan
- Landing spot: Mets
Who knows what the Twins are thinking right now, or what direction they'd like to go in? Given how far away they are from real contention, it's probably the smart move to sell Ryan ahead of his walk year; yes, he's a rental, but he's a rock-solid No. 2 starter, and that commands a whole lot on the trade market. Minnesota would have no shortage of suitors and could continue to build a sneakily exciting young core.
New York Mets: LHP Zac Thornton
- Landing spot: Cardinals
The Mets' core of Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, Christian Scott and AJ Ewing is likely untouchable, and much of their farm system took a step back in 2026. But Thornton sticks out as a potential sell-high candidate who likely overachieved his raw talent as a rookie last year. New York would still have plenty of young pitching talent to build around, so he's more than expendable — especially if they win the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes.
New York Yankees: RHP Will Warren
- Landing spot: Nationals
For all the grief Brian Cashman takes, he deserves credit for helping turn the Yankees into a consistently successful pitching development operation. New York will undoubtedly look to tap into that surplus of arms as they look for a right-handed catcher compliment and an infield upgrade, and Warren is already a durable No. 4-5 starter with untapped potential still to come.
Philadelphia Phillies: SS Bryan Rincon
- Landing spot: Astros
I'll admit: It's not a pretty picture in Philly as far as young talent is concerned, especially after Dave Dombrowski mortgaged even more of the team's future to acquire Luis Arraez at last year's trade deadline. Gage Wood and Aidan Miller likely aren't going anywhere, but Rincon had a breakout season in 2026 and could well be on the move as the Phillies look to finally acquire the missing piece to their championship puzzle. He's a borderline top-100 prospect now and could well serve as the centerpiece to a package for a difference-maker.
Pittsburgh Pirates: OF Bryan Reynolds
- Landing spot: Royals
Reynolds is still a perfectly solid player entering his age-32 season, locked up on a team-friendly deal that runs through 2030. If the Pirates can flip him for an impact reliever, they'd have to think long and hard about it, given his slow but sure decline and how much firepower they have elsewhere in this lineup.
San Diego Padres: OF Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Landing spot: Red Sox
San Diego's new ownership group sure seems to mean business; look no further than the team scoring an in-person meeting with Tarik Skubal. Still, the Padres' long-term financial reality is complicated by just how many big contracts they have clogging their books. Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts are underwater; could they move on from Tatis Jr. instead, getting a ton of potential future value in return while also affording AJ Preller some breathing room? I wouldn't bet on it, but there's been consistent smoke for a year now.
San Francisco Giants: INF Casey Schmitt
- Landing spot: Yankees
Schmitt established himself as an above-average bat with valuable defensive versatility this past season, and the Giants likely wouldn't be thrilled at moving on from that. But he's one of the few players in San Francisco who actually has positive trade value at the moment, outside of far-fetched cases like Logan Webb. The Giants need to do something to fix this pitching staff, and Schmitt could have surprising value on the trade market.
Seattle Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert
- Landing spot: White Sox
Seattle needs to flip arms for bats in the worst way, and while Gilbert is just a rental at this point, his track record speaks for itself — and should have plenty of would-be contenders interested. If the Mariners don't want to bail on Bryan Woo (future ace) or Bryce Miller (you'd probably be selling low), this is the sweet spot, and they can't afford to wait much longer.
St. Louis Cardinals: 1B/OF Alec Burleson
- Landing spot: Mets
The Cardinals have a surprising glut of young position player talent, and that could force a deal if they can't come to an extension agreement with Burleson with two years remaining until free agency. Ivan Herrera could shift over to first base with top prospect Leo Bernal taking over behind the plate, while Burleson's steady production could give St. Louis' pitching staff a needed boost.
Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Drew Rasmussen
- Landing spot: Cubs
I believe Tampa when it says that it wants to hang on to, or even potentially extend, Rasmussen, who is already 31 and has an extensive injury history behind him that could dampen his free agent appeal next winter. That said, we know how this story usually ends for small-market teams, and the Rays love to stay one step ahead. Now would be the time to sell high and acquire pieces to keep this franchise humming.
Texas Rangers: SS Corey Seager
- Landing spot: Braves
Texas seems hell-bent on trying to free up payroll space this winter, understandably so considering their long-term financial outlook and how far away they are from real contention. They'd be wise to try and get out from under the five years remaining on Seager's deal, given his injury history and the alarming decline in his contact skills this past season. That said, despite those red flags, he's still a very good bat at a premium position, and somebody will be willing to take the plunge if he's willing to waive his no-trade clause.
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Nolan Perry
- Landing spot: Nationals
The Jays have assembled a pretty strong rotation for the foreseeable future, but they need offensive help. Enter Perry, who pitched himself into top-100 consideration this past season and could be trade bait soon. He likely doesn't fit into Toronto's long-term plan, and he's easily the most movable young asset the team has beyond top prospect JoJo Parker.
Washington Nationals: SS CJ Abrams
- Landing spot: Red Sox
The Nationals aren't too far away from contending in 2027, so it's entirely possible they decide to just hold on to Abrams. Given the ruffled feathers around his move to second base, though, and Paul Toboni's general desire to continue stockpiling future assets, a trade can't be ruled out. And with so many big-money contenders in need of infield help, he'd command a true haul.
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