Hey, someone flipped the “on” switch on the MLB offseason! After the shocking news of Alex Bregman’s signing with the Chicago Cubs over the weekend, we got some movement on the trade market on Tuesday, with the St. Louis Cardinals finally finding a taker for veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado.
The Arenado deal probably won’t have nearly the domino effect of Bregman’s decision. But as spring training inches closer and closer, it could be a sign that a previously frigid trade market is beginning to heat up at long last. There are still a ton of players that could be on the move in the coming weeks, as rubber meets road and teams need to either pull the trigger or risk getting left behind. Who might your team wind up with, and what are the best options available?
The top position players available on the MLB trade market
2B Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs
Prediction: Stays put
With Alex Bregman giving Chicago an infield surplus and Hoerner entering his final season of team control, this is the new blockbuster trade du jour, but I just can’t see it. The Cubs need to be doing whatever they can to win a World Series in 2026, and sending out one of the best second basemen in the sport would make that mission harder barring a miraculous return — hard to imagine for a one-year rental.
OF Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
Prediction: Kansas City Royals
It’s been radio silence on Duran for months now, but I still have a hard time believing the Red Sox will go into 2026 with four starting outfielders (Duran, Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela) for three spots — especially not with infield and pitching needs yet to be addressed. The Royals have long made sense here, long on arms Boston could use but in desperate need of offense without a ton of money to acquire it, and I think a deal eventually gets done.
SS CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals
Prediction: Stays put
The Nats are starting over under new leadership, so it makes sense that they’d listen to offers on their arbitration-eligible players who will probably hit free agency by the time the team’s next competitive window rolls around. But they can afford to play the waiting game with Abrams, who has three years of team control remaining. He remains more potential than actual production, with questions about his ultimate defensive home and whether his bat can go from fine to something more. If that breakout comes this year or next, they could sell high for a king’s ransom.
2B/OF Brendan Donovan, St. Louis Cardinals
Prediction: San Francisco Giants
Chaim Bloom is shipping out everything that isn’t nailed down in St. Louis, from Sonny Gray to Willson Contreras to Nolan Arenado. There’s no reason Donovan shouldn’t be next: He’s not getting any younger entering his age-29 season, and with only two years of team control remaining, the Cardinals risk waiting long enough to turn him into a rental. His price will likely never be higher, and he’s far more useful to a rebuilding team as a trade asset.
The Giants are aggressively pursuing a solution to their void at second base, and Donovan would be a perfect fit, a high-OBP table-setter in front of Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman who can fill holes in the infield and outfield.
OF Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox
Prediction: New York Mets
This could change if the Mets win the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, but my money is still on a long-term deal in Toronto or a short-term deal with the Dodgers. (Lord help us if it’s the latter.) Either way, New York still needs a solution in center field, and Robert brings great defense plus the ability to mash lefties and some untapped upside after wasting away in Chicago. The White Sox had tried to hold the line as long as possible here in hopes of a bounce-back year that would rebuild his value, but with just two club options at $20 million each remaining on his contract, it’s time to get what you can and move on with the rebuild.
INF Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros
Prediction: Boston Red Sox
It’s not the infielder Red Sox fans are hoping their team will land after losing out on Bregman, but Paredes is nothing to sneeze at: He’s still just 26, he gets on base a ton and he pulls the ball in the air more than just about any other hitter in the Majors, making him a dream fit for Fenway Park. If Boston isn’t willing to hand out a big long-term deal (and it doesn’t seem like they are), he’s a very interesting plan B. Plus, Houston already has too many infielders to fit in one lineup and needs elsewhere — particularly in the outfield and the starting rotation — that the Red Sox could help solve.
3B Alec Bohm/2B Bryson Stott, Philadelphia Phillies
Predictions: Bohm to the Seattle Mariners; Stott stays put
The Phillies appear hell-bent on coming away with Bichette this offseason; no one loves their stars like Dave Dombrowski. But in order to make that dream come true, Dombrowski is going to have to open up a spot on the infield for him, and that requires moving on from either Bohm at third base or Stott at second.
Stott is the better fielder and comes with an extra year of team control, so he would seem to be the harder to acquire. Ultimately, I think it’s Bohm who goes, given that he’ll be a free agent next winter and neither his offense nor his defense are beyond reproach. If he’s available for cheap, Seattle should pounce: A league-average bat would be an improvement over what they currently have at the hot corner, and they were interested in acquiring Bohm last offseason.
The top pitchers available on the MLB trade market
RHP Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers
Prediction: Boston Red Sox
The Brewers appear to be comfortable with flipping Peralta for future value if some team is willing to blow them away, and given his production and his more than reasonable salary for the 2026 season, why wouldn’t they be? All the heavy hitters are reportedly circling, but in the end, I think Boston comes away with the righty. Doubling down on run prevention is a natural pivot after missing out on Bregman (and Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber before that), and few teams can match the near-Majors pitching depth of the Red Sox system.
LHP MacKenzie Gore, Washington Nationals
Prediction: New York Yankees
While it makes sense to be patient with Abrams, the Nats’ clock is ticking a bit more with Gore, who only has two years of control remaining rather than three. They don’t have to move him, but if a team makes it worth their while, I think they pull the trigger. We know that the Yankees are interested in the lefty, as New York eyes another frontline starter with its wealth of pitching prospects. Include one or two of those in a deal, and Washington would do well to say yes, turning two years of Gore into multiple swings at finding an ace that better fits their timeline.
RHP Brady Singer, Cincinnati Reds
Prediction: Detroit Tigers
The Reds need more offense to contend in 2026, and if they’re not going to spend money to acquire it, dealing from their deep starting rotation will have to do. While everyone’s dreaming on Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott or Nick Lodolo, Singer is the most likely to be moved, a free agent next winter who enjoyed a solid season in 2025. His contact-oriented approach would be a nice fit in Comerica Park, and the Tigers have young hitters at their disposal and need to add pitching depth no matter what happens with Tarik Skubal.
LHP Kris Bubic, Kansas City Royals
Prediction: San Francisco Giants
The Royals have pitching to spare, and it would make sense to sell high on Bubic, an All-Star last season who’s about to enter his contract year. We fixed the Giants infield with a Donovan deal above, but they also desperately need another starter to put behind Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Landon Roupp, and Bubic offers real No. 2 or 3 upside for relatively cheap.
LHP David Peterson, New York Mets
Prediction: Baltimore Orioles
The Mets have a zillion rotation options entering 2026, but very few that are reliable or offer frontline upside. New York needs to consolidate a bit, and a Peterson trade could help do just that, allowing the team to make a run at someone like Framber Valdez in free agency (or a bigger fish like Peralta elsewhere on the trade market). Even after acquiring Shane Baz, Baltimore could still use one more arm, and the O’s have a young assortment of position players to make a deal work.
RHPs Joe Ryan/Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins
Prediction: Staying put
After stripping the roster for parts at last year’s trade deadline, it feels a bit silly for the Twins to stop now. But I bet they hold on to their two most movable arms until at least this summer. For starters, trading Lopez now would likely be selling low given his injury-plagued 2025 campaign. And as for Ryan, well, what’s the rush? If no team is willing to meet the sky-high price for starting pitching right now, they almost certainly will be at the 2026 deadline, when options figure to be slimmer and front offices more desperate.
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