This year's MLB trade deadline was more active than anticipated. The Tarik Skubal trade to the Dodgers didn't come as a shock by any means, but even high-end controllable players like Adley Rutschman and Jose Soriano wound up on the move. And while the transactional frenzy is over for now, it should pick up again with a fury in the offseason.
This is especially true because of just how lackluster the upcoming free agency class is. Teams will need to use the trade market to acquire star power, and the players below figure to be among the best available on the block based on the foundation that's been laid this summer.
SS Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
- Contract: 5 years, ~$162.5 million remaining
- Potential suitors: Red Sox, Blue Jays, Mariners
The New York Mets find themselves in a bit of a weird spot with Francisco Lindor. On one hand, he's still a very good player (no matter what Mets fans might want to tell you), and trading him away will undoubtedly make the Mets worse in the short term. On the other hand, Lindor's contract is massive, he's likely going to steadily decline over the course of the next half-decade and his relationship with Juan Soto is a strange one at best. Further complicating the issue, Lindor has 10-and-5 rights, meaning he has full veto power even if the Mets wanted to trade him. If he wants to remain in New York, there's nothing they can do.
Still, Lindor is a viable trade candidate because of all the smoke around the team making him available (or at least listening to offers) at the deadline. If there's a package out there that makes the Mets better and/or gives them high-end prospect capital while freeing up their finances, they'd be foolish not to consider it. I have my doubts about a deal actually coming to fruition given the factors above, but it's certainly on the table.
RHP Mason Miller, San Diego Padres
- Contract: Three years of arbitration remaining
- Potential suitors: Yankees, Mariners, Cubs
A nice two-week stretch before the trade deadline took Mason Miller off the San Diego Padres' trade block and allowed A.J. Preller to do what he always does: buy heavily. While it was nice for Padres fans to get a reprieve from Miller trade chatter, there's every reason to believe he'll be made available for the same reasons this winter.
The Padres have plenty of talented players, but their roster is far from well-rounded. Their lineup has underperformed for most of the year, their rotation was so bad that Preller had to acquire two high-priced rentals just to stay afloat and their farm system, beyond catcher Ethan Salas, is a mess. Trading Miller, the best closer in the sport who is under control through 2029, might give San Diego a chance to address some of these issues.
The Padres won't get anything equal to what they gave up to acquire Miller in the first place (No. 1 overall prospect Leo De Vries, among others), but they would still receive an enormous haul if they actually do deal him away.
SS CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals
- Contract: Two years of arbitration remaining
- Potential suitors: Red Sox, Braves, Rays
Should the Washington Nationals trade CJ Abrams? I'd say no; Abrams has established himself as a superstar this season, and a dynamic duo of he and James Wood has the potential to carry this franchise for the next decade. But will they trade Abrams? There's reason to believe the answer to that is yes.
Look, Abrams is only under control through the 2028 season, meaning the Nats don't have long before he hits the open market. They can and should try to extend him, but does anyone really believe based on the lack of spending we've seen from this organization since winning the World Series in 2019 that they'll suddenly give Abrams the kind of deal that'd prevent him from testing free agency in a couple of years? And if they won't extend him, it makes sense to trade him following a breakout year with a chance to receive a haul in return — much like they did with Juan Soto (albeit on a much larger scale).
C William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers
- Contract: $14.5 million team option
- Potential suitors: Yankees, Padres, Rangers
If there's one thing we can expect from the Milwaukee Brewers, it's that they'll trade star talent away before free agency. Freddy Peralta, Devin Williams, Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader are four examples of big names the Brewers have traded away rather than losing them for nothing in free agency. And given how good a player William Contreras is, the likelihood is Milwaukee won't be extending him.
Assuming the Brewers exercise his $14.5 million club option for 2027, that's his final year of club control. From there, we know how this movie goes, and the odds are that Contreras won't play out that year in a Brewers uniform. There are always exceptions (Willy Adames spent his contract year in Milwaukee, for example), but it's far more likely than not that he's dealt if the Brewers can find a deal to their liking. Given how rare star catchers are, that seems all but assured.
LHP Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels
- Contract: Two more years of arbitration remaining
- Potential suitors: Cubs, Dodgers, Cardinals
The Los Angeles Angels sold as hard as they have at any point in recent memory, but they still elected to hold onto Reid Detmers. This makes some sense, as there are likely to be even more prospective suitors for the southpaw come the winter. Odds are that one of these suitors will offer the Angels something they can't refuse.
Detmers has broken out in a big way in 2026, but he's only under club control through 2028, and the Halos almost certainly won't be competitive by then. Given that, getting maximum value now when his stock is at its highest, particularly after the team traded other controllable players like Jose Soriano and Jo Adell, makes too much sense.
SS Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels
- Contract: Three more years of arbitration remaining
- Potential suitors: Red Sox, Braves, Rays
And If the Angels are considering trades for Detmers, they'll likely do the same for Zach Neto, another controllable player who'd generate tons of league-wide interest. Neto is far from a complete player, as he has strides to make in the field and in his plate discipline, but he's one of the best slugging shortstops in the league and already has a 30-steal season under his belt as well. At just 25 years of age and with three more years of club control after this one, Neto should bring the Angels a haul if he were to be dealt.
Los Angeles has already acquired a potential replacement in top prospect Arjun Nimmala and can continue bolstering their farm by trading arguably their most valuable asset in Neto.
RHP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins
- Contract: One year of arbitration remaining
- Potential suitors: Mets, Orioles, Astros
Joe Ryan has been in trade rumors for over a year now, but the Minnesota Twins still haven't traded him to this point. In fact, they bought at this year's trade deadline. While that might suggest they'll continue holding onto him through the offseason, there's reason to believe that won't be the case.
2027 is Ryan's final year under club control, meaning the Twins will either need to trade him for something at some point or come to terms with the likelihood of him walking in free agency for nothing more than a draft pick. An extension is possible, but is a Minnesota team that's held back from spending much of late really going to hand a ton of money to a 30-year-old who has already had an elbow scare this season? Unlikely. They could hold onto him into the season and see how they perform, but that raises the risk of him suffering another injury and tanking his value for good. There's reason to believe they'll get an offer good enough to finally move him this winter.
C Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies
- Contract: Three years of arbitration remaining
- Potential suitors: Yankees, Pirates, Cubs
The Colorado Rockies fielded offers for Hunter Goodman at the trade deadline, and while their understandably sky-high asking price wasn't met, perhaps it will be in the winter. Goodman comes with his share of concerns (he isn't a very good defender and strikes out a ton), but he's hit 33 home runs this season, with even better numbers on the road than at Coors Field. He'd bring the Rockies a ton back in a trade, especially since he's under control through 2029.
It might seem insane for the Rockies to almost immediately trade their first true star in quite some time, but the reality is that they're still a ways away from being competitive. Odds are, they won't get there by the time Goodman hits free agency. Given that, why not trade him at his highest value, further preparing them to win in the future? It'd sting now but could really prove beneficial in the long run.
OF Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
- Contract: Two years of arbitration remaining
- Potential suitors: Astros, Padres, Diamondbacks
While vibes are at an all-time high in Boston right now, Jarren Duran continues to have the worst season of his career. He enters Saturday's action with a 66 wRC+, the second-worst among 145 qualified position players. He's been worth just 0.3 fWAR despite providing a ton of value in the field and on the base paths. And in addition to his struggles at the plate, he continues to be a distraction on and off the field.
The Boston Red Sox held onto him past the trade deadline, but can they afford to begin the 2027 campaign with him on the roster? The Red Sox already have three outfielders who are better than Duran when healthy (Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu), and Duran also happens to be the closest to free agency of that group. It's never ideal to trade a player when his value is at its lowest, but it feels like everyone would benefit from a change of scenery.
RHP Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners
- Contract: Team control through 2030
- Potential suitors: Cubs, Braves, Mets
Emerson Hancock's name was prevalent in trade rumors around the deadline, and while the Seattle Mariners wound up moving Luis Castillo instead, that speculation should heat up again in the winter. As well as Hancock has pitched (3.33 ERA in 21 starts this season), he might be the worst starter in the Mariners rotation (he's certainly the least accomplished), and Seattle has two high-end pitching prospects, Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, nearing the big leagues behind him.
The Mariners will need room for Anderson and Sloan sooner rather than later, and rather than bump Hancock to the bullpen, it makes far more sense to trade him for a much-needed bat. Hancock isn't even set to hit arbitration until 2028, so his several years of club control would instantly make him one of the most valuable starters on the trade block.
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