Even if your favorite MLB team strikes out in free agency, that doesn’t mean that their offseason is over. In fact, some organizations’ most impactful moves this winter could come via trade, whether it’s adding a proven All-Star like Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal or a promising young player who has become expendable.
Skubal and Milwaukee Brewers All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta have headlined the early trade rumors, as has Pittsburgh Pirates superstar Paul Skenes. From the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers to the likes of the Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox – every team has work to do on the trade market. For the sake of ease, we’ve grouped all teams by division.
Trade chips for all 30 MLB teams
AL East
Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman, C
The Orioles have insisted that they won’t trade Rutschman, though that’ll only go so far if a team offers the right package. Established catchers on the right side of 30 (Rutschman turns 28 in February) with multiple years of team control left, don’t grow on trees.
Which team makes the most sense? Cincinnati Reds. Do the Reds see themselves as legitimate NL contenders? If so, then we’d love to see them get uncharacteristically aggressive and see if they can add Rutschman as the potential final piece needed to win the NL Central.
Boston Red Sox: Jarren Duran, OF
The speedy Duran is no stranger to trade rumors, and he’s fresh off posting 4.7 bWAR and 73 extra-base hits (41 doubles, a league-leading 13 triples, and 16 home runs) for the Red Sox. Did we mention that Duran, who has 82 stolen base attempts in 97 tries the last three years, is under team control through 2029? Duran has been floated in trade rumors already this winter and that won't change as the winter moves along. The same can be said of Wilyer Abreu.
Which team makes the most sense? San Diego Padres. Some of the proposed trades here feel like perfect matches, and this is one of them. The thought of Duran using his speed and power to terrorize the Los Angeles Dodgers should be enough for the Padres to seek out the 29-year-old, who is a California native and played at Long Beach State.
New York Yankees: Ben Rice, C/1B/DH
There’s definitely a case to be made here for second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is entering the final year of his contract. However, replacing Rice — a Silver Slugger finalist and the current frontrunner to start at first base — is theoretically far easier than replacing Chisholm, especially given the Yankees’ overall infield problems.
Which team makes the most sense? Atlanta Braves. Rice can be the everyday DH and catch when Drake Baldwin needs a break, assuming that the Braves trade Sean Murphy (more on him soon). Perhaps the Yankees could trade Rice for Ozzie Albies and move the three-time All-Star to shortstop?
Tampa Bay Rays: Brandon Lowe, 2B
The Rays recently picked up Lowe’s $11.5 million club option, but we wouldn’t blame the Rays for exploring a potential trade this winter. Lowe, who is entering his age-32 season, has a lifetime .807 OPS and could be an excellent rental — for the right price, which for the Rays is likely an intriguing top-30 prospect. The Rays are always willing to move on from the right high-priced players, and Lowe could net a signfiicant return.
Which team makes the most sense? Minnesota Twins. The Twins strike us as a team that will opt for the approach of winning anywhere from 75 to 85 games rather than tearing down the entire foundation. Considering Luke Keaschall’s presence at second, perhaps Minnesota could use Lowe as the everyday DH.
Toronto Blue Jays: Ernie Clement, 3B
Now is the time for Toronto to take advantage and find a team willing to buy high on Clement. Clement, who turns 30 next spring, emerged as a fan favorite after unexpectedly hitting .277 with 35 doubles and a .711 OPS in nearly 600 plate appearances. Then, Clement hit .411 with a .977 OPS in the postseason and helped the Blue Jays almost win their first World Series since 1993.
Which team makes the most sense? Pittsburgh Pirates. The Blue Jays and Pirates are no strangers to being trade partners, and Clement is under team control through 2029. Going from the World Series runner-ups to the Pirates is an unfortunate scenario, but Pittsburgh has plenty of holes for Clement to fill.
AL Central
Chicago White Sox: Luis Robert Jr., CF
This has to be the offseason Chris Getz finally parts with Robert Jr., as his value will only decrease from here. Robert hasn’t come close to matching the 36 doubles, 38 home runs, .857 OPS, and 5.3 bWAR he gave the White Sox in 2023. However, he’s a one-year rental on a $20 million club option, and he recorded a career-high 33 stolen bases last season.
Which team makes the most sense? Philadelphia Phillies. The thought of Robert playing for the Phillies has made sense for a couple of years now. The only question is how much patience Phillies fans will have for Robert’s lack of plate discipline; he’s averaged a 29.3% strikeout percentage since 2023, topping out at a ghastly 33.2% in 2024.
Cleveland Guardians: Steven Kwan, OF
The Guardians opted to keep Kwan at last year’s deadline, and the 27-year-old justified the move by helping the Guardians to an unexpected AL Central crown. Kwan has won four consecutive Gold Gloves, and he’s struck out only 246 times against 240 walks in nearly 2,600 career plate appearances. There’s an argument to be made that the 28-year-old Kwan is baseball’s most underrated player.
Which team makes the most sense? New York Mets. The Mets have loaded up on power in recent years, and the result is one NLCS appearance in the Steve Cohen era. Kwan is a pesky hitter capable of tormenting NL East foes all summer. The question, and understandably so, is if a Guardians organization that typically avoids rebuilds or traditional transitional periods would part ways with its best player.
Detroit Tigers: Tarik Skubal, P
At this point, you know the story with Skubal. He’s scheduled to hit free agency next offseason, and the Tigers haven’t publicly committed to him pitching for the team in 2026. A divorce within the next 12 months feels inevitable, and there has to be at least one team open to decimating its farm system if it means getting a season of Skubal. That decimation can only occur if Skubal is open to an extension with his new team, however, which is easier said than done with Scott Boras as his agent.
Which team makes the most sense? New York Mets. It wouldn’t be a Mets offseason without Cohen being aggressive, and that especially applies if Skubal is indeed available. The Mets need a bona fide ace atop their rotation, and who would argue against adding arguably the sport’s best starting pitcher?
Kansas City Royals: Jonathan India, 2B
The Reds have been willing to part with India for the better part of a year. India turns 29 in December, and he posted a .669 OPS and 0.4 bWAR in his first season with the Royals. With one season left on his deal, India is a low-risk, high-reward candidate for a bounce-back year.
Which team makes the most sense? Los Angeles Angels. It’s been over a decade since the Angels even had a winning season, though they’ll regularly make the occasional noteworthy offseason trade. While an infield featuring India and Zach Neto isn’t the flashiest, it sounds solid enough to us.
Minnesota Twins: Joe Ryan, P
Ryan's been floated in trade rumors since the deadline, and the Twins failed ownership sale doesn't help matters. Ryan turns 30 next June, and he has three seasons of team control left. When you factor in his breakout 2025 season (3.42 ERA and 4.5 bWAR in 171 innings) and the Twins’ aforementioned potential transitional period, look for Ryan to have no shortage of suitors this winter.
Which team makes the most sense? Atlanta Braves. Chris Sale isn’t getting any younger, and the Braves stand to benefit by adding an improving starter like Ryan. Even if Ryan profiles more as a No. 3, that’s never a bad thing when you’re an aspiring contender like the Braves.
AL West
Houston Astros: Mauricio Dubón, UTL
For the Astros to extend their World Series window, they'll have to trade from the MLB roster. Dubón has been a solid contributor in Houston, hitting .256 with 24 home runs, 80 doubles, and a .659 OPS since joining the Astros in 2022. Most importantly, Dubón has played every infield and outfield position with the Astros. That’s great news for any Immaculate Grid player, too.
Which team makes the most sense? Toronto Blue Jays. Contenders love utilitymen, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa filled that role in Toronto this past fall. Dubón could be a solid replacement, though he lacks Kiner-Falefa’s speed.
Los Angeles Angels: Jo Adell, OF
Adell has taken full advantage of increased playing time the last two seasons, crushing 57 homers with a .449 slugging percentage in 1,024 plate appearances since the start of 2024. If there was ever a time for the Angels to move Adell, who hit 37 home runs and 98 RBIs this past season, then it’s now.
Which team makes the most sense? Cleveland Guardians. Adell is an affordable slugger who shouldn’t cost too much in a trade. That makes him the perfect offseason acquisition, at least on paper, for a Guardians team seeking its first pennant since 2016.
Athletics: Luis Severino, P
It's no secret Severino doesn't want to be an A. He impressed on the road, going 6-2 with a 3.02 ERA and a 56-21 K-BB ratio in 80 1/3 innings away from Sacramento. The problem, though, is that Severino signed with a team playing in a minor-league stadium, going 2-9 with a dreadful 6.01 ERA in 15 home starts. Something has to give.
Which team makes the most sense? New York Yankees. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt are all expected to miss the start of next season while recovering from elbow injuries, with Cole and Schmidt coming back from Tommy John surgery. Could the Yankees reunite with Severino, who earned two All-Star selections in his eight years in the Bronx? We’ll see if the A’s eat any of what’s left on his three-year, $67 million contract.
Seattle Mariners: J.P. Crawford, SS
The second base market is weak in free agency behind the likes of Bo Bichette. Expect the Mariners to use this fact to their advantage over the winter. Crawford turned in another quality season for the Mariners, finishing with a .265 average, 12 home runs, and a .722 OPS in 157 games. He’s given the Mariners at least 2.7 bWAR in each of the last five seasons, though he only has one year left on his deal.
Which team makes the most sense? Miami Marlins. Crawford has one year and $12 million left on his contract, but if the Marlins want to prove that they’re ready to build off a 79-win season, they should definitely inquire about Crawford. Even if the worst-case scenario is that the Marlins flip him at next summer’s trade deadline, we still feel it’s a risk worth taking.
Texas Rangers: Jacob deGrom, P
You can admittedly color us surprised that deGrom stayed healthy in 2025, with his 30 starts marking his most since his 2019 Cy Young season. In fact, various injuries, including Tommy John surgery in 2023 — limited deGrom to only 35 starts from 2021-24, Luckily for the Rangers, deGrom posted a 2.97 ERA and an impressive 185-37 K-BB ratio in 172 2/3 innings.
Which team makes the most sense? San Francisco Giants. Buster Posey gave then-Brewers shortstop Willy Adames a seven-year, $182 million deal last offseason, and he followed that up by snagging embattled Boston Red Sox star Rafael Devers this past June. The third, and possibly final, piece should be deGrom, even as he enters his age-38 season.
NL East
Atlanta Braves: Sean Murphy, C
We’ve already extensively discussed Murphy before, but the general principle remains the same. The Braves already have Drake Baldwin at catcher, and Murphy is expendable in an offseason lacking free agent starting catchers — outside of the Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto, of course.
Which team makes the most sense? St. Louis Cardinals. Again, we’ve made this point previously. The Cardinals are still searching for Yadier Molina’s long-term replacement, and Murphy is an adequate backstop capable of filling the void, at least temporarily.
Miami Marlins: Edward Cabrera, P
You can definitely make the case for Sandy Alcantara here, but we’re opting for Cabrera. The 27-year-old righty went 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA and a 150-48 K-BB ratio in 137 2/3 innings over 26 starts. If the Marlins are open to trading Cabrera, which they reportedly were at the deadline, the time to act is now.
Which team makes the most sense? Chicago Cubs. Shota Imanaga opted out of his contract, and he remains a free agent as of publication. Cabrera is under team control through 2029 and doesn’t turn 28 until next April. This works for us, and it should work for the Cubs, too.
New York Mets: Brandon Nimmo, OF
Nimmo has a complete no-trade clause, which could make things slightly harder. However, the Mets’ late-season collapse justifies making some difficult decisions, one of which is their veteran left fielder, who is signed through 2030.
Which team makes the most sense? Milwaukee Brewers. Asking the Brewers to take on what remains of Nimmo’s eight-year, $162 million deal might seem unrealistic, but so did the idea of Milwaukee winning 97 games last year. There’s a championship window in Milwaukee that might be closing, and the Brewers need to take the risk and trade for Nimmo if they can make the finances work.
Philadelphia Phillies: Bryce Harper, 1B
As with Murphy, we’ve already discussed Harper’s trade situation separately, so we’ll keep things short. Phillies lead baseball executive Dave Dombrowski publicly questioned if Harper can return to form, and Harper acknowledged that the comments affected him. That really ought to be enough to get the ball rolling.
Which team makes the most sense? New York Yankees. The Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2009, and Aaron Judge turns 34 next April. Enough said.
Washington Nationals: MacKenzie Gore, P
Don’t let Gore’s lifetime 26-41 record and 4.19 ERA fool you into thinking he’s not worth acquiring. Despite losing 15 of his 30 starts this season, Gore gave the Nationals 3.0 bWAR and a 4.17 ERA in 159 2/3 innings. There are far worse pitchers to have as a No. 3 or No. 4 in your rotation.
Which team makes the most sense? Toronto Blue Jays. Max Scherzer is a free agent entering his age-42 season, and the Blue Jays should avoid asking too much of rookie phenom Trey Yesavage in 2026. Gore checks the boxes for a Toronto team needing to build off its World Series run.
NL Central
Chicago Cubs: Carson Kelly, C
The Cubs have top catching prospect Moisés Ballesteros ready to go, and he hit .298 with two homers, 11 RBIs, and a .868 OPS in 66 plate appearances down the stretch. As with Sean Murphy and the Braves, the emergence of a young catcher makes Kelly expendable.
Which team makes the most sense? Texas Rangers. No one is saying that the Rangers won’t at least attempt to win the AL West in 2026, and Kelly is a good fit for an already-impressive Rangers lineup. Kelly is already familiar with Texas, hitting .235 in 110 plate appearances for the Rangers down the stretch in 2024.
Cincinnati Reds: Spencer Steer, 1B
For the Reds, this could be addition by subtraction. Would the Reds really trade Steer, who has averaged 21 home runs, 84 RBIs, 31 doubles, and a .756 OPS since the start of 2023? We surely won’t be surprised, in part because his bWAR has dipped from 2.9 in 2023 to 0.7 this past season.
Which team makes the most sense? Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox need a first baseman, and Steer is a solid backup plan if they can’t sign Pete Alonso. We’ve already seen Red Sox lead baseball executive Craig Breslow be aggressive in the Devers and Garrett Crochet trades, so his taking a chance on Steer won’t catch us too off guard.
Milwaukee Brewers: Freddy Peralta, P
The 30-year-old Peralta is slated to hit free agency next winter, and he’s on track to command a lofty contract on the open market. This is typically when teams like the Brewers consider simply biting the bullet and seeing what they can get in return for an established All-Star.
Which team makes the most sense? Houston Astros. Time is running out to win one last title in the Jose Altuve era, and the Astros are at risk of losing Framber Valdez in free agency. There’s a reason why franchises like the Astros are always in the playoff mix, and it’s because they’re willing to make splashy trades.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Paul Skenes, P
Although Pirates general manager Ben Cherrington recently reiterated that Skenes will pitch for Pittsburgh in 2026, he also said the quiet part out loud in admitting he knows that teams will always ask about Skenes. You shouldn’t need us to explain why you should want your favorite team to trade for Skenes, who just captured his first Cy Young Award.
Which team makes the most sense? Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, we know how unfair this sounds. However, the Dodgers have arguably the sport’s top farm system, and we feel comfortable predicting that they won’t be afraid to offer Skenes a record-setting contract for full-time pitchers. Paul Skenes, you are a Los Angeles Dodger!
St. Louis Cardinals: Sonny Gray, P
Chaim Bloom is a retool artist. Expect him to act quickly here. Gray turned 36 in November and he’s remained a quality starting pitcher, with his 3.39 FIP (Fielding Indepdent Pitching) being drastically better than his 4.26 ERA. With one guaranteed season left on his three-year, $75 million contract, Gray is an excellent trade candidate worth pursuing.
Which team makes the most sense? Boston Red Sox. Breslow recently made it clear he wants to add another starting pitcher this offseason, and Gray is exactly what the Red Sox need. He’ll still soak up innings, and he’s been on playoff teams before, two appealing traits to a Red Sox club needing to beat out the Blue Jays and Yankees in the AL East.
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Ketel Marte, 2B
Reports have already emerged about the Diamondbacks possibly trading Marte, a three-time All-Star and one of the league’s premier middle infielders, in return for pitching. The 32-year-old Marte has averaged 30 home runs, 83 RBIs, 26 doubles, and a .887 OPS the last three years.
Which team makes the most sense? Houston Astros. The easy question here is what the Astros would do with Altuve, who turns 36 next May and has four seasons left on a five-year, $125 million extension. If the endgame is putting Marte at second and moving Altuve to DH, fine, but Houston should at least consider this move, though it’d probably cost the Astros a starting pitching prospect or two.
Colorado Rockies: Kyle Freeland, P
Finding a trade partner won't be easy for the Rockies. This team was historically bad for a reason. Freeland has only allowed 44 home runs the last two years, which is nothing short of incredible when you pitch your home games at Coors Field. Unfortunately for Freeland and the Rockies, he’s posted a 4.82 ERA in 727 innings since the start of 2025.
Which team makes the most sense? Los Angeles Angels. Freeland won’t cost teams too much via trade, and the Angels need starting pitching depth. This one is simple enough for us — and, considering their track history over the last decade, perhaps the Angels can even trade Freeland over the summer.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Max Muncy, 3B
The Dodgers unsurprisingly picked up Muncy’s $10 million option, though it’s worth noting that he turns 36 next August. While Muncy still fits the Dodgers’ needs, that shouldn’t stop other contenders from asking if he’s available.
Which team makes the most sense? Seattle Mariners. Eugenio Suárez is a free agent, and he hit just .189 with 79 strikeouts in 220 plate appearances after a midseason trade. Even if Muncy is slightly older, he’s also a safer option to man the hot corner.
San Diego Padres: Ramón Laureano, OF
Laureano enjoyed an impressive 2025 for both the Orioles and Padres, finishing with a .281 average, 24 home runs, 26 doubles, and a .855 OPS in nearly 500 plate appearances. There’s no reason to think that the Padres will entertain trading the 31-year-old Laureano ahead of his contract season, though his impending free agency could convince them to take a phone call or two.
Which team makes the most sense? Detroit Tigers. The Tigers need another starting-caliber outfielder, and they wouldn’t be tied to Laureano beyond 2026. Who knows? Maybe the Padres could include Laureano in a potential Skubal trade.
San Francisco Giants: Patrick Bailey, C
Bailey hasn’t hit well in the majors, batting just .222 with 333 strikeouts against 90 walks in over 1,250 plate appearances the last three years. Maybe the two sides need to start over, especially if the Giants feel that Jesus Rodriguez (the team’s No. 15 prospect on MLB Pipeline) is ready to make his MLB debut.
Which team makes the most sense? Philadelphia Phillies, if J.T. Realmuto leaves in free agency. But if Realmuto re-signs with the Phillies, the Nationals should make a play for Bailey. Adding a 26-year-old catcher who could benefit from a change of scenery makes sense for a rebuilding team like the Nationals.