The Most Likely Trade For All 30 MLB Teams in 2025-26 Offseason

Marquee free agents like Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez take center stage with the official start of Major League Baseball's 2025-26 offseason just around the bend, but trades will also feature prominently in the months until the next regular season begins.

All told, there were 45 trades last offseason, including the deals that put Kyle Tucker, Garrett Crochet, Cody Bellinger, Josh Naylor and Jesús Luzardo in their new homes. The Cubs and Guardians led the way with six trades apiece. Only the Orioles and Padres didn't make at least one player swap between Halloween and Opening Day, and even they both ended up making trades in mid-April.

With that in mind, we've taken an early look at what each team might be most eager to trade for/away this offseason.

While we're not proposing specific trade packages, we did include a "Prime Target" for each team that figures to do some buying.

Teams are presented in alphabetical order and broken up by division.

Baltimore Orioles: A Trade for Relief Pitching
Prime Target: Tampa Bay's Pete Fairbanks ($12.5M club option)

The O's traded away Andrew Kittredge, Bryan Baker, Gregory Soto and Seranthony Domínguez in July, and then found out in August that Félix Bautista may well miss all of 2026 following surgery to repair a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff. Needless to say, there is offseason work to be done in this bullpen. And though Baltimore is more willing to spend money now than it was a few years ago, it's unlikely it will go out and purchase all the free-agent relievers it needs.

Boston Red Sox: A Trade for an Established, Versatile Infielder
Prime Target: Houston's Mauricio Dubón (arbitration-eligible in 2026)

Alex Bregman has already exercised his opt-out while Trevor Story's decision is still pending. Even if Story returns, though, Boston's 2026 infield is looking a bit over-dependent on the likes of Kristian Campbell, Triston Casas and Marcelo Mayer returning from injury/ineffectiveness in 2025. Adding an "anywhere" infielder should be in the plans. Meanwhile, Houston has arguably too many infielders now that Carlos Correa is back in the fold, so getting Dubón could be the way for Boston to go.

New York Yankees: A Trade for an Outfielder
Prime Target: Cleveland's Steven Kwan (arbitration-eligible through 2027)

With the exception of Kyle Tucker, the most noteworthy free agent outfielders are the two who spent this past season with the Yankees: Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham. But with Jasson Domínguez already a regular in the bigs and Spencer Jones on the way, maybe they're not all that interested in any sort of long-term re-investment in an outfielder, in which case the trade block will come in handy. (FWIW the "if rivalries didn't exist" prime trade partner would be calling up Boston about Jarren Duran, but it's been a long time since those two put together a trade anywhere near that significant.)

Tampa Bay Rays: A Trade of Pete Fairbanks
Contract: $12.5M club option for 2026

Time will tell how much the change in ownership changes Tampa Bay's spending tendencies. One thing is true regardless of who's the owner, though: Small-market teams don't pay $12.5 million for closers, unless it's a "final piece of the puzzle" sort of move, like Baltimore signing Craig Kimbrel two winters ago. And that's simply not where Tampa Bay is at right now. Turning Fairbanks into a prospect who might not even cost them $12.5 million over the next five years combined is probably the route they'll choose.

Toronto Blue Jays: A Trade for a Starting Pitcher
Prime Target: Miami's Sandy Alcantara ($17M in 2026, $21M club option for 2027)

They're losing Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer and almost certainly Shane Bieber (player option) this winter, with Kevin Gausman and possibly José Berríos (two-year player option for 2027-28) exiting stage right next offseason. But they also already have an estimated 2026 payroll of more than $225 million and might not have a whole lot of bidding power for the big-name arms in free agency—especially if they're planning on re-signing Bo Bichette. While Toronto's farm system isn't particularly loaded at the moment, this might be the most aggressive suitor for Sandy Alcantara and/or Joe Ryan this winter.

Chicago White Sox: A Trade of Luis Robert Jr.
Contract: $20M club option for 2026; $20M club option (or $2M buyout) for 2027

Simply keeping Robert on the payroll and at least pretending to be invested in winning games in 2026 would probably cost the White Sox less than the blowback that would come from the MLBPA if they were to trade him away and seriously enter next season with a payroll of, like, $40 million. If they actually get something out of it aside from a salary dump, though, maybe they can pull it off.

Cleveland Guardians: A Trade for a Starting Pitcher
Prime Target: Washington's MacKenzie Gore (Arbitration-Eligible Through 2027)

Trading away Steven Kwan is on the table, but he's probably more valuable to Cleveland than he is as a trade chip, as the Guardians' window to contend for the AL Central crown is still definitely open. Last winter, they traded Josh Naylor for Slade Cecconi and may have found a solid option for the rotation. They also traded for Luis Ortiz, which ended up being a much worse gamble. But bartering for another starting arm is probably the way to go here.

Detroit Tigers: A Trade for a Starting Pitcher
Prime Target: Los Angeles' Emmet Sheehan (pre-arbitration in 2026; Arbitration-Eligible 2027-29)

It might be Tarik Skubal's final season on the roster, and the Tigers simply have to provide him with more of a supporting cast than he has had over the past two seasons, in which his 12.6 fWAR almost matched that of the rest of the rotation combined. They should have more than enough room in the budget to sign one of the big arms available in free agency, but trading for a staple could be huge, too. Whether the Dodgers would actually part with Sheehan is debatable, but it's undeniably a good place to go shopping, given the sheer volume of starting pitchers on that payroll.

Kansas City Royals: A Trade for an Outfielder
Prime Target: Boston's Jarren Duran ($8M club option for 2026; Arbitration-Eligible through 2028)

Though Kansas City has come a long way since its 106-loss disaster in 2023, its outfield has not, with an "as outfield" fWAR of 0.1 over the past two seasons combined. Kyle Isbel is respectable enough in center and the hope is that Jac Caglianone has a far more productive 2026 in right field. Left field remains a gaping hole, though, and trading for someone like Duran or Cleveland's Steven Kwan could be a colossal move that shakes up the AL Central heading into next season.

Minnesota Twins: A Trade of Joe Ryan
Contract: Arbitration-Eligible through 2027

It's plausible that the Twins will reinvest in winning this winter as opposed to doubling down on their trade deadline fire sale. Most seem to believe Minnesota is far more likely to steer further into the rebuild, though, in which case getting as good a return as possible for Joe Ryan would be the goal here. MLB Trade Rumors projects Ryan's arbitration salary for 2026 at $5.8 million, which is a fraction of what the likes of Framber Valdez and Dylan Cease will command in free agency. Minnesota probably won't get as much for Ryan as the White Sox got for Garrett Crochet, but some small-market contender might be willing to offer an awful lot.

Athletics: A Trade for a Starting Pitcher
Prime Target: New York's Clay Holmes ($13M in 2026, $12M player option in 2027)

If you just take out that disastrous stretch from May 6 through June 4 in which the A's lost 24 out of 27 games, they actually had a solid season, going 34-24 from July 24 onward. They need to improve the rotation if they want to contend in 2026, though, and doing so via a $200 million signing isn't exactly the John Fisher way, to put it lightly. But if the Mets beef up their rotation, they might be willing to part with Holmes, whose exceptionally low career rate of home runs allowed would come in handy at Sutter Health Park.

Houston Astros: A Trade for a Starting Pitcher
Prime Target: Pittsburgh's Mitch Keller ($16.9M in 2026, $18.4M in 2027, $20.4M in 2028)

With Framber Valdez now a free agent while Ronel Blanco, Luis Garcia, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter will each potentially miss all of 2026 following UCL surgeries, Houston's rotation is looking like a mess, even if Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier are actually healthy for a change. They need a workhorse to pair with Hunter Brown, and Mitch Keller has logged the sixth-most innings of any pitcher over the past three seasons. Sonny Gray is another option, though $35 million for one year is probably more than Houston can justify paying.

Los Angeles Angels: A Trade of Taylor Ward
Contract: Arbitration-Eligible in 2026

After not once ending up in dead-last in the AL West from 2000-23, the Angels have done so in back-to-back years, finishing at least 16 games below .500 in four straight seasons. They've spent the past decade refusing to accept a rebuilding situation, and may well continue to do so. But if they decide they're willing to move a bat in his final season before reaching free agency, there would be a lot of interest in Taylor Ward.

Seattle Mariners: A Trade for a Corner Outfielder
Prime Target: St. Louis' Lars Nootbaar (Arbitration-Eligible through 2027)

The Victor Robles who hit .328 and stole 30 bases in 77 games played in 2024 never even remotely showed up in 2025, and Randy Arozarena only has one year left before reaching free agency. Seattle did have Dominic Canzone break out this season and could have top prospect Lazaro Montes ready to roll by the time Arozarena leaves. But trading for a corner outfielder while trying to re-sign corner infielders Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez may be the initial offseason plan.

Texas Rangers: A Trade of Adolis García
Contract: Arbitration-Eligible in 2026

Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young has already said a further decrease in payroll is likely. If that's the case, parting with an outfielder who is liable to cost more than $12 million after back-to-back seasons with a sub-.700 OPS is maybe the lowest-hanging fruit to achieving that goal. The Rangers could also simply non-tender García to save that money, but they'll have a few weeks to shop him around before that decision comes due in late November.

Atlanta Braves: A Trade for a Closer
Prime Target: Tampa Bay's Pete Fairbanks ($12.5M club option)

Over the past three seasons, Raisel Iglesias saved 96 games for Atlanta. Now that he's a free agent, though, the ninth inning is a big question mark. Joe Jiménez after he missed all of 2025 due to knee surgery? Pierce Johnson with 16 career saves, most of which came while posting a 6.00 ERA with the Rockies in 2023? Moving Reynaldo López back to the bullpen to mitigate injury risk? Trading for an established closer sounds better than any of those options.

Miami Marlins: A Trade of Sandy Alcantara
Contract: $17.3M in 2026, $21M club option in 2027

Maybe with the way he pitched over the final two months, the Marlins are happy to keep Alcantara and his salary that is five times higher than the projected cost of any other player currently on the roster. Maybe they'll instead be willing/looking to move Edward Cabrera, Ryan Weathers, Braxton Garrett or one of their many starting pitchers under at least two more years of team control. Either way, turning at least one arm into at least one productive bat almost has to be the goal here, as they have too many of the former and nowhere near enough of the latter.

New York Mets: A Trade of Jeff McNeil
Contract: $15.75M in 2026, $15.75 club option in 2027

Over the past three winters, the Mets have been far more likely to just cut a check to a free agent than trade to fill a need. But could they make a cost-cutting move by trading away McNeil? Even if they don't re-sign Pete Alonso, they have a solid infield quintet of Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña and Ronny Mauricio in place. They really shouldn't need McNeil in the outfield, either, unless they don't think top prospects Carson Benge or Jett Williams will be able to make any impact in 2026.

Philadelphia Phillies: A Trade for a Catcher
Prime Target: Baltimore's Adley Rutschman (Arbitration-Eligible through 2027)

If they re-sign J.T. Realmuto, then never mind. But if they don't, trading for a backstop beats hoping for the best with either Danny Jansen or Victor Caratini, who figure to be the two best catchers (aside from Realmuto) available in free agency. It could be Ryan Jeffers from Minnesota or Jonah Heim from Texas, both of whom have one season left before free agency, likely to cost around $6 million. However, those are the backup plans if Baltimore is too bullish on Rutschman.

Washington Nationals: A Trade of MacKenzie Gore
Contract: Arbitration-Eligible Through 2027

While it's not particularly likely Washington will trade away its ace with two years of team control remaining, it's probably more likely than any sort of trade in which the Nationals are the ones giving up prospects to acquire a big leaguer. Frankly, if you could tell us now there's one and only one team that won't make any trades this offseason, Washington and its new president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni, might be the top candidate to fill that role.

Chicago Cubs: A Trade for a Bullpen Arm
Prime Target: Colorado's Jimmy Herget (Arbitration-Eligible through 2027)

Taylor Rogers, Ryan Brasier, Caleb Thielbar, Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, Michael Soroka and Aaron Civale are all unrestricted free agents, while the Cubs hold a $9M club option on Andrew Kittredge. Basically, aside from Daniel Palencia, just about this entire bullpen is tentatively turning over, so there's quite a bit of offseason work to be done. The irony of suggesting the Cubs trade for Herget is that after scooping him off waivers in September, they released him less than one year ago after he made four scoreless appearances for Triple-A Iowa.

Cincinnati Reds: A Trade for an Outfield Bat
Prime Target: Los Angeles' Taylor Ward (Arbitration-Eligible in 2026)

Kudos to the Reds for narrowly finding their way back into the postseason picture this season, but they never had a lineup liable to do much damage in October. That reality was exacerbated by getting thrown immediately into the fire in a matchup with the Dodgers. We know they're unlikely to make any colossal investments in free agency to address the problem, but they do have the means—solid farm system; a surplus of both arms and infielders—to make some trades to upgrade their outfield.

Milwaukee Brewers: A Trade for a Controllable Starting Pitcher
Prime Target: Minnesota's Joe Ryan (Arbitration-Eligible through 2027)

In all likelihood, both Brandon Woodruff and Jose Quintana will hit free agency rather than reaching agreements on their mutual options. At that point, this rotation becomes one final year of pre-free agency Freddy Peralta and a very young/inexperienced supporting cast. Tons of promise in Jacob Misiorowski, Robert Gasser and Logan Henderson, but can any of them be six-month workhorses in 2026? Getting at least two years of an established ace-caliber pitcher would be huge in Milwaukee's quest to keep on winning the NL Central.

Pittsburgh Pirates: A Trade of Mitch Keller
Contract: $16.9M in 2026, $18.4M in 2027, $20.4M in 2028

Honestly, it's surprising Pittsburgh didn't trade Keller away a few months ago. Given how well rookies Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler pitched for them after the trade deadline, though, perhaps now they'll be more willing to unload one of the two substantial contracts they actually have on the books, in order to have more money to throw at Paul Skenes on a long-term extension.

St. Louis Cardinals: A Trade of Nolan Arenado
Contract: $16M in 2026, $15M in 2027 (plus $6M deferred from each season)

Between Arenado, Sonny Gray ($35M in 2026, $30M club option for 2027) and Willson Contreras ($18M in 2026, $18.5M in 2027, $17.5M club option for 2028), the Cardinals could rid themselves of well north of $100 million worth of contracts on the trio of veterans. However, between positional need and the fact that they were reportedly very close to trading him away last winter, the 10-time Gold Glove third baseman seems likeliest to be dealt. Arizona, the Angels and the Athletics would all be interested.

Arizona Diamondbacks: A Trade for a Starting Pitcher
Prime Target: Miami's Edward Cabrera (Arbitration-Eligible through 2028)

We'll see what becomes of Zac Gallen, who might return to Arizona in 2026 on a qualifying, $22 million offer. But if he doesn't, this rotation becomes Eduardo Rodríguez, Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson and two big unknowns while Corbin Burnes makes $30 million to recover from Tommy John surgery. They can't afford to do nothing about the rotation, but they also maybe can't afford to sign another marquee free agent starting pitcher. The trade block figures to be their friend.

Colorado Rockies: A Trade of Jimmy Herget
Contract: Arbitration-Eligible through 2027

Assuming All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman is virtually untouchable, Herget might be on a one-name list of players who the Rockies would be willing to trade and that other teams would actually want. He had a 2.48 ERA in 83.1 innings of work, which is the exact same ERA he posted in 69 innings pitched (with nine saves) with the Angels in 2022.

Los Angeles Dodgers: A Trade of Starting Pitching
Seeking: Lineup Depth and/or Prospects

The Dodgers have all of Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Landon Knack, Bobby Miller, Ben Casparius, Justin Wrobleski, Michael Grove and Kyle Hurt under team control through at least 2027. That's 14 arms that probably should be in a big-league rotation, which is near the top of the list of absurdly excessive things this franchise is doing. The first five names on that list aren't going anywhere, but any of the other nine could be trade chips.

San Diego Padres: A Trade for a First or Second Baseman
Prime Target: Tampa Bay's Yandy Díaz ($12M in 2026, conditional option for 2027)

With three-time batting champ Luis Arráez on his way out the door, the Padres have a hole on the right side of the infield next to Jake Cronenworth. Filling it with a first baseman who has hit .301 over the past four seasons sure would make a lot of sense. If the Rays are intent on keeping Díaz, though, perhaps Cardinals' 2B Brendan Donovan (two years of arbitration eligibility remaining) is on the table? Either one could work with Cronenworth's positional flexibility.

San Francisco Giants: A Trade for a Starting Pitcher
Prime Target: Minnesota's Pablo López ($21.75M in 2026, $21.75M in 2027)

The 1A/1B of Logan Webb and Robbie Ray is top notch. Rounding out the rotation with some combination of Landen Roupp, Kai-Wei Teng, Trevor McDonald, Carson Whisenhunt and Hayden Birdsong is considerably less promising—unless the Giants are just cool with staying in .500 purgatory for another year. They don't have much to offer as far as prospects go, so getting a Joe Ryan or MacKenzie Gore might be a pipe dream. But they could offer Minnesota quite a bit of salary relief, if the Twins are still in fire sale mode.