With Edward Cabrera off the board, other teams in desperate need of starting pitching are scrambling. The first calls they place should be to free agents like Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez, both of whom are somehow still available as we near mid-January. However, their answer will more than likely be the same, and that is to wait until they receive an offer to their liking.
Finding a trade partner isn't much easier in this market. Because free agency is at a stalemate, the asking price for top-tier starting pitcher via trade is just as high. Look no further than the Cubs trade for Cabrera, which is sure to clear out their prospect cupboard. Eventually, this gridlock has to stop, and when it does the trade fireworks will be spectacular.
Tarik Skubal's most likely landing spot: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Tigers asking price for Skubal is said to be enormous. However, as spring training nears and the Tigers realize just how dire their chances are at keeping the two-time AL Cy Young winner around, perhaps they'll relent some. If not now, then the trade deadline will bring a new round of questions for Detroit president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
The Dodgers will have to trade away another MLB-ready starter. While they will want to offer Tyler Glasnow, he cannot stay healthy nor is he guaranteed to stay with the Tigers long term. Rather, Harris should hope to pry top prospects like Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski from Andrew Friedman.
Along with young starting pitchers, the Dodgers also feature four outfield prospects in MLB Pipeline's top-100 rankings, headlined by Josue De Paula. Detroit will have to lower its asking price some if they deal Skubal at the deadline, but a full season of the best pitcher in baseball is worth what the Tigers are suggesting. It's also why a trade has yet to be made.
Freddy Peralta most likely landing spot: New York Mets
The Mets are far from alone on Peralta, who comes at a far more affordable price tag than Skubal. Peralta will make just $8 million in the final year of his contract, and he was an NL Cy Young candidate last season. Because of that low AAV, Peralta is exceptionally valuable on the trade market. It makes all the sense in the world for the Brewers to trade him now, as they're unlikely to re-sign him next winter. His value will never be higher to them.
New York will compete with the likes of the Dodgers and Braves for Peralta, among others. While Peralta is on the final year of his contract – and thus just a one-year rental barring an extension using Steve Cohen's wallet – he also had a 2.70 ERA and 5.63 WAR on the best regular season team in baseball in 2025.
So, the Mets would have to get a little bit uncomfortable when dealing for Peralta. The Brewers would likely ask for Jonah Tong in any trade for Peralta as a jumping off point. He is the Mets top-ranked pitching prospect and ranked No. 46 in all of baseball. That stings. Rising Apple's recent trade package of Tong, Ryan Clifford and Will Watson sounds about right, and would at least get the two sides talking.
Mackenzie Gore most likely landing spot: New York Yankees
Ag 26 years old, Mackenzie Gore should be a finished product. Last season he reached the highest of highs, only to struggle down the stretch. The Yankees – nor any team in need of a top-level starter – can't have that. A recurring theme for Gore has been a dominant first half followed by the bottom falling out post All-Star break. Some of that is on the player, of course, but the team also deserves blame for failing to get the most out of one of their best pitchers when it matters most.
What Gore does have going for him is his contract. He has two years left on control. Gore is also one of the best pitchers in MLB against top-level competition. He gets up for big games, but often falls short against opponents he ought to mow down with relative ease. It's frustration, I know. Against the 10 highest-scoring teams in the majors last season, Gore had a 3.29 ERA in 11 starts. That has to mean something.
If the Yankees rotation were at full strength, we wouldn't be having this conversation. However, they were heavily connected to Cabrera for a reason. Their own front office seems to believe they need to take a big swing. In my godfather offer for Cabrera, I suggested the Yankees deal Spencer Jones, Ben Hess, Dillon Lewis and Roderick Arias. That's one top-100 overall prospect (Jones) along with three other top-20 team prospects. Hess and Lewis are specifically well-regarded, and could be fantastic fits in any system, including the Nationals'.
Mitch Keller most likely landing spot: Boston Red Sox
I still find it hard to believe the Minnesota Twins trade Joe Ryan away. If that were the case, I think the Red Sox would be a tremendous fit, just as they were at the trade deadline last year. But, the Twins aren't a well-run franchise from the top-down. This means they will likely hold onto Ryan until the last minute.
Speaking of poorly-run franchises (heck of a pivot, I know), let's talk about the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs have (at least on paper) one of the best rotations in baseball, headlined by Paul Skenes. Their lineup was dreadful last season, but they've made some useful additions this winter in Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn. They have a long way to go, however, if they want to contend with the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs atop their own division, despite what some local Pittsburgh baseball pundits might think.
Trading Keller to the Red Sox is a great place to start. Keller was floated last deadline, but the Pirates ultimately kept him. He still has three years of control left on his contract, and had a 4.19 ERA last season thanks in large part to a tough second half.
Boston can do the Pirates a favor and trade MLB-level talent in return. Heck, these two teams just pulled off a trade earlier this winter, as the Red Sox sent Jhostynxon Garcia to the Pirates for Johan Oviedo. Perhaps the Sox would be willing to part with Jarren Duren, a player who has frequently been mentioned in trade rumors the past couple of years, in a package for Keller.