8 Realistic MLB Trades That Could Happen In 2025-26 Offseason

The 2025 MLB postseason is still a couple weeks away from crowning a World Series champion, which also means something else: The offseason isn't far away.

As such, we thought we'd get ahead on pitching eight offseason trades that are entirely speculative, yet also within reason. The matches between the given player and team are solid, with some even based on credible reporting from previous trading seasons.

We've also made trade proposals that are on the bold side in some cases, but passed muster for Baseball Trade Values' simulator.

We'll proceed in alphabetical order according to each player's last name.

Note: All prospect ranks are according to B/R's Joel Reuter.

Trade Proposal: New York Yankees get RHP Sandy Alcantara; Miami Marlins get OF Jasson Domínguez, RHP Carlos Lagrange (Yankees No. 5)

Why It Works for New York

That Alcantara wasn't traded was one of the big surprises of the deadline, but the Yankees were reportedly one of the teams pushing for him at the end.

You could make the case now that they should move on from Alcantara. They are due to have a strong rotation in 2026, after all, with a healthy Gerrit Cole rejoining Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and breakout star Cam Schlittler.

Or, the Yankees could choose the overkill way forward with their rotation. A trade for Alcantara would fit the bill, as he's a former Cy Young Award winner who finished 2025 on an upswing with a 2.68 ERA in his last eight starts.

Would the Yankees be conceding defeat by trading Domínguez? Maybe, but they should be willing to question the disparity between his past hype and his present reality. If you're going to post a 101 OPS+, you can't be as bad defensively as he is.

Why It Works for Miami

The Marlins obviously didn't trade Alcantara at the deadline, and it doesn't seem like a given that they will this winter.

And yet, small-market, low-revenue teams like the Marlins must always be realistic. Alcantara is on the hook for $17.3 million next year. By their standards, it represents a big risk for a 30-year-old who's a year removed from Tommy John surgery and coming off a 5.36 ERA.

Besides, the Marlins need offensive upside more than they need a veteran arm. As he came into this year as a top-25 prospect, this is where Domínguez would fit in. Lagrange is more of a project, but he boasts a 70-grade fastball that could soon be of use.

Trade Proposal: New York Mets get 3B Nolan Arenado; St. Louis Cardinals get LHP Sean Manaea, RHP Jonathan Pintaro, cash

Why It Makes Sense for New York

There's a lot the Mets need to address this winter, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post isn't wrong to see the defense as a potentially overlooked priority. Per their -12 Outs Above Average, they had a bottom-10 defense this season.

This alone should give the Mets some level of interest in Arenado. He's a 10-time Gold Glover who remains a strong defender at third base, posting +3 OAA this season.

It's Arenado's bat that has declined in recent years, which is not unexpected for a 34-year-old who has been around for as long as he has. But he's still good for pulling the ball in the air, which would play well at Citi Field.

Whereas Arenado was picky with who he was willing to waive his no-trade clause for last winter, he's a bit more open this time around. That, in turn, could be an opening for the Mets, who should also be attracted to his burning desire to win.

Why It Makes Sense for St. Louis

The idea behind this trade is that it would be a bad contract swap, with the money going from New York to St. Louis meant to balance what's owed to the two players:

The Cardinals could then look to flip Manaea, either during the winter or in 2026 after (hopefully) he bounces back from an injury-marred year in which he had a 5.64 ERA.

Pintaro would be a deal-sweetener of sorts for the Cardinals. He's a mid-level prospect at best, but he has three above-average pitches, and he at least profiles as a specialist after holding righty batters to a .597 OPS in the minors this year.

Trade Proposal: Detroit Tigers get CF Oneil Cruz; Pittsburgh Pirates get C/1B Josue Briceño (Tigers No. 4)

Why It Works for Detroit

The Tigers have made huge strides offensively in the last three years, going from ranking last in the AL in runs in 2022 to fifth this year.

They are nonetheless a bit behind the times, at least to the extent that they don't steal bases. They have ranked in the bottom five of the AL in steals in each of the last four years, finishing at the bottom of all of MLB with 61 this year.

As Cruz is coming off an NL-high 38 stolen bases to go with 20 homers, he should be on the Tigers' radar this winter for his dynamic tools. They could also just plain stand to upgrade in the outfield, at least until Max Clark comes along in 2027 or so.

It wouldn't feel good to sacrifice Briceño in a trade, but he's likely more of a first base/DH type than a catcher. The Tigers already have Spencer Torkelson at first, and they could bump Kerry Carpenter to DH full-time if Cruz came aboard.

Why It Works for Pittsburgh

The Bucs were reportedly fielding calls on Cruz ahead of the trade deadline, and that alone was significant after he had been off-limits earlier in the year.

Though Cruz is still just 27 and controlled through 2028, the Bucs have to take the approach that he is what he is and no more. The video game-esque talent is there, but he's basically a league-average bat anyway.

Even if his defensive home is in question, the Bucs would stand to upgrade by swapping out Cruz for Briceño. He's done nothing but hit over the last 365 days, following a huge showing in the Arizona Fall League with a .883 OPS and 20 homers in the minors this year.

Trade Proposal: Seattle Mariners get 1B/DH Yandy Díaz; Tampa Bay Rays get RHP Emerson Hancock, INF Tai Peete

Why It Works for Seattle

The Mariners have had a good thing going with Josh Naylor at first base, Jorge Polanco at DH and Eugenio Suárez at third base, but all three are going to be free agents at the end of the season.

The Mariners at least want to keep Naylor, but that would involve playing in an area of the free-agent market where they are typically uncomfortable. It feels more likely they will pursue other options, including those on the trade market.

To this end, Díaz would fit them perfectly. He'll only be owed a $12 million salary if the Rays pick up his 2026 option, which is more than fair for a .290 hitter who has shown 20-25-homer power in two of the last three seasons.

In a way, Díaz is a right-handed Naylor without the 30 stolen bases. And in all likelihood, those 30 steals will prove to be a one-and-done thing for the latter.

Why It Works for Tampa Bay

Even if picking up Díaz's option for 2026 is a no-brainer for the Rays, the same goes for shopping him in trades. It's a perfect opportunity to save money and get real talent back.

This trade might look like a letdown in this respect, but Hancock has developed into the kind of pitcher who is right up the Rays' alley. His velocity has played up in the shorter stints he's made recently, and his lower arm angle has turned his sweeper into a real weapon.

Peete's stock has fallen since he was a first-round pick in 2023, but he's still only 20 and gets good grades for his speed and defensive skills. Again, he sounds like a Rays type.

Trade Proposal: San Diego Padres get OF Jarren Duran, DH Masataka Yoshida; Boston Red Sox get RHP Jeremiah Estrada, C Ethan Salas (Padres No. 1)

Why It Makes Sense for Boston

It just plain feels like Boston has to trade an outfielder this winter, lest they head into 2026 with an awkward surplus with Duran next to Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela.

Duran is the most logical candidate to go, as he's the oldest (29) and least controllable (through 2028) of the four. He also didn't buy himself much goodwill in the Wild Card Series, where he went 1-for-11 with a crucial drop in the outfield.

Since all signs point to the Padres badly wanting Duran, the idea behind this proposal would be for Boston to leverage their desperation by getting them to also take Yoshida, who is owed a $18.6 million salary in 2026 and 2027.

It wouldn't be a pure salary dump, though. Duran has enough value for the Red Sox to demand something in exchange. In this case: an immediately usable reliever and a lottery ticket prospect.

Why It Makes Sense for San Diego

This feels like the kind of proposal Padres fans won't like, but just think about having Duran, Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. from left to right in the outfield. That's about as good as it gets right there.

As for Yoshida, he's basically a lite version of Luis Arraez in that he makes a ton of contact, albeit with little in the way of walks or extra-base power.

The Padres can otherwise afford to lose Estrada from a stacked bullpen, and Salas just isn't the prospect he was a couple years ago. He's still only 19, but injuries and consecutive OPSes in the .500s have really derailed his stock.

Trade Proposal: San Francisco Giants get RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Tink Hence, cash; St. Louis Cardinals get INF Marco Luciano

Why It Works for San Francisco

In this deal, the Giants would move an out-of-favor former prospect for a high-cost veteran who no longer fits with the team that signed him.

Sound familiar? It should. This is pretty much how the Giants got Rafael Devers, who eventually recovered from a slow start to be a good get for San Francisco.

In this case, Gray is heading into the last year of his deal, but owed $35 million plus a $5 million buyout. Money like that is bad for the trade value, yet he is still more of a top-of-the-rotation type than his 4.07 ERA for the last two seasons would indicate.

For the Giants, Gray could step right into Justin Verlander's vacated spot in the rotation. They would otherwise be taking a flier on Hence, who may yet live up to his former billing as a top prospect if he ever stays healthy.

Why It Works for St. Louis

Gray didn't seem overly keen on waiving his no-trade clause last winter, but he's already changed his tune ahead of the 2025-26 offseason.

He's a more valuable trade chip than Arenado on paper, but Gray signaling he wants out probably won't do St. Louis' bargaining power any favors. It feels a bit like the Minnesota Twins and Carlos Correa, who went back to the Houston Astros for basically nothing after making it clear he wanted out.

This said, Luciano would not be a no-name return piece for the Cardinals. He was a top prospect as recently as last year, and he's fresh off hitting 23 homers at the Triple-A level.

Trade Proposal: Los Angeles Dodgers get LF Steven Kwan; Cleveland Guardians get RHP Emmet Sheehan

Why It Works for Los Angeles

Before we get to why the Guardians would trade Kwan even in the wake of winning the AL Central, can we agree the Dodgers need to do better in left field?

The position was worth -0.3 rWAR this year, which mostly traces back to Michael Conforto being a bust on a $17 million free-agent deal. He was also part of the reason the Dodgers struggled defensively in the outfield this season, posting -8 Outs Above Average.

This is where Kwan would be the best possible upgrade. He's about to make it four Gold Gloves in a row, and his 29 OAA for the last four seasons give him a laughably large lead over all other left fielders.

Kwan's bat has been more hit or miss, albeit figuratively and not literally. He only has a 109 OPS+ for the last four years, but he makes contact more frequently than everyone except for Luis Arraez.

Why It Works for Cleveland

Yes, the Guardians did pull off an incredible comeback to win the AL Central. But no, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll deviate from their standard operating procedure.

They're always balancing their budget, even if it means trading well-liked players in their prime. Kwan is a prime candidate for this treatment, as he's a second-year arbitration-eligible star whose job could go to George Valera or Chase DeLauter.

If the Guardians must trade Kwan, they might as well get something good for him. Sheehan qualifies, as he's a big-time misser of bats (93rd percentile whiff rate) with club control through 2029.

Trade Proposal: Boston Red Sox get RHP Joe Ryan; Minnesota Twins get INF Marcelo Mayer

Why It Works for Boston

The Red Sox went hard after Ryan at the trade deadline, but reportedly did not come close to pulling off a deal.

Still, don't be surprised if they try again this winter. They stand to lose Lucas Giolito to free agency, and they'll otherwise be under a ton of pressure to build on an 89-win campaign that should only be the start of something bigger.

Ryan, 29, isn't a household name, but he's as good a No. 2 as the Red Sox can hope to put behind Garrett Crochet. He's allowed barely more than one baserunner per inning over the last two years, mainly by way of a fastball that is quietly among the best in the game.

As Ryan is controlled through 2027, he would be worth the risk of parting with Mayer. Indeed, holding Mayer likewise comes with risk on account of his injury history, which is getting more extensive every year.

Why It Works for Minnesota

The Twins are talking like they want to keep Ryan for 2026 and beyond, but it seems an awful lot like a smokescreen.

They are mere months removed from one of the most extensive midseason teardowns in recent memory. The only good news is that they replenished their farm system in the process, but they're likely still looking at a multi-year rebuild.

Mayer is only 22 and was a borderline top-10 prospect when Boston called him up in late May. If he ever gets to a point where he can stay healthy, he could become a star for the Twins to build around.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.