Four teams remain in contention for a World Series title in 2026, while the other 26 clubs have already turned their attention to next year. The upcoming free-agent class is thin behind ace Tarik Skubal, which could push teams toward a more active offseason on the trade market. The looming CBA negotiations and an expected lockout, however, add significant uncertainty about what the offseason will look like.
Assuming a traditional offseason takes place, here are the top 25 potential trade chips likely to move. The list mixes speculative candidates with players whose names have already surfaced in trade rumours. The likelihood of a trade helped determine the final 25, while remaining years of control, salary commitments and expected 2027 impact shaped the rankings.
Nos. 25-24
25. 3B Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants (Age: 33)
Stats: 84 G, 97 OPS+, .235/.324/.368, 26 XBH (7 HR), 2.7 WAR
Contract: 4 years, $100.7M remaining
While Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee are generally viewed as unavailable or immovable, Chapman is the one high-priced veteran the Giants might be able to flip. The club could use last year’s Nolan Arenado trade as a blueprint. Chapman underwent season-ending core muscle and hernia surgery in August, but he is expected to be ready for the start of next season.
24. 2B Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves (Age: 29)
Stats: 162 G, 87 OPS+, .237/.293/.392, 50 XBH (22 HR), 1.4 WAR
Contract: $7M club option for 2027
Albies has spent his entire 10-year career with the Braves, accumulating 25.7 WAR, earning four All-Star selections and winning two Silver Slugger awards. His surface-level power remained intact, but he has posted a middling 88 OPS+ and a .299 on-base percentage over 1,350 plate appearances across the last two years. Atlanta could be ready to move on as part of a larger retooling.
Nos. 23-22
23. SP Griffin Jax, Tampa Bay Rays (Age: 31)
Stats: 34/23 G/GS, 3.53 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 116 K, 112.1 IP, 0.7 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2027 (2027 projected: $5.7M)
After four seasons as one of baseball’s elite setup relievers, Jax moved into the Rays rotation in his first full season with Tampa Bay, having arrived in a 2025 deadline deal for Taj Bradley. He posted a 3.14 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 106 strikeouts in 103.2 innings over 23 starts. Tampa Bay has a habit of shopping pitchers whose arbitration salaries are climbing.
22. SP Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals (Age: 35)
Stats: 32 GS, 3.32 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 158 K, 200.2 IP, 4.3 WAR
Contract: 1 year, $14M remaining, $14M club option in 2028
No team met the Royals’ asking price for Wacha at the deadline, but Kansas City could shop him more aggressively this winter. He is a reasonably priced veteran starter coming off an All-Star campaign. The 14-year veteran led the American League with 200.2 innings pitched, and his 4.3 WAR was a career high.
Nos. 21-20
21. 2B Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins (Age: 27)
Stats: 142 G, 108 OPS+, .280/.360/.371, 29 XBH (6 HR), 3.0 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2029 (2027 projected: $3.5M)
Edwards was one of only 11 qualified hitters with a walk rate above 10 per cent and a strikeout rate below 15 per cent. He batted .321 with runners in scoring position and stole 21 bases in 26 attempts. After shifting over from shortstop midway through the 2025 season, he played solid defence at second base. Miami listened to offers for him and shortstop Otto Lopez at the deadline. Given Lopez’s very high asking price, Edwards is the more likely trade chip.
20. RP Trevor Megill, Milwaukee Brewers (Age: 32)
Stats: 63 G, 30 SV, 2.63 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 1.8 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2027 (2027 projected: $8.0M)
Megill’s fastball touches triple digits, and his knuckle curve generated a 46.5 per cent whiff rate. He was one of baseball’s most dominant closers, converting 30 of 33 save chances. Over the past three seasons, he has posted a 2.61 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 10.4 K/9, with 81 saves in 161 appearances. Milwaukee has a history of trading closers before they become expensive, having dealt Josh Hader and Devin Williams.
Nos. 19-18
19. SP Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays (Age: 29)
Stats: 24 GS, 3.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 106 K, 118.0 IP, 1.4 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2027 (2027 projected: $6.6M)
The Rays had only four players earning more than $6 million in 2026 and fielded the fourth-lowest payroll in the majors, which makes McClanahan an obvious trade chip ahead of his final year of arbitration. The two-time All-Star pitched well in his return from a 2025 season lost to Tommy John surgery. He carries a 3.10 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 562 strikeouts in 522.2 career innings.
18. SP George Kirby, Seattle Mariners (Age: 28)
Stats: 30 GS, 4.33 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 148 K, 174.2 IP, 1.4 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2028 (2027 projected: $9.8M)
Even after moving Luis Castillo’s salary at the trade deadline, Seattle still has a good chance of shopping one of its starters this winter in search of offensive upgrades. Kirby has two years of club control remaining and endured a down year in 2026, which makes him the least likely of the three Mariners starters on this list. He still carries significant value.
Nos. 17-16
17. 2B Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks (Age: 32)
Stats: 141 G, 107 OPS+, .249/.316/.432, 56 XBH (22 HR), 2.5 WAR
Contract: 4 years, $77.8M remaining, $11.5M player option in 2031
Marte has 10-and-5 rights, so he can veto any trade. Enough off-the-field turmoil occurred during the 2026 season, however, to suggest he might want a change of scenery. Even in a down year by his standards, he remained one of the best offensive second basemen in the league.
16. SP Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers (Age: 38)
Stats: 31 GS, 4.20 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 201 K, 162.2 IP, 1.7 WAR
Contract: 1 year, $37M remaining
The Rangers reportedly asked deGrom to waive his full no-trade clause at the deadline, but he declined. That does not mean he will hold that position if Texas begins retooling this offseason. He enters the final season of his five-year, $185 million deal, and the contract is not the obstacle it would have been a year or two ago.
Nos. 15-14
15. SS Corey Seager, Texas Rangers (Age: 32)
Stats: 102 G, 112 OPS+, .227/.312/.424, 36 XBH (20 HR), 3.2 WAR
Contract: 5 years, $157.5M remaining
A $31.5 million annual salary over the next five seasons, combined with a lengthy injury history, will not make Seager easy to move. He remains a star-level performer when healthy, however, and a thin shortstop class in free agency will push teams towards the trade market. For a club unwilling to pay the steep price for players such as Zach Neto or Otto Lopez, absorbing Seager’s salary at a lower acquisition cost is a possible alternative.
14. 3B Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros (Age: 27)
Stats: 155 G, 127 OPS+, .262/.360/.447, 53 XBH (25 HR), 4.0 WAR
Contract: $13.4M club option in 2027
Houston is at a crossroads, with a starting rotation that needs rebuilding, aging stars in Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, and two key bats nearing free agency in Paredes and Jeremy Peña. A larger rebuild would make sense, but even a simple retool leaves Paredes a logical trade candidate. The infield is crowded, and he has just one remaining year of control.
Nos. 13-12
13. OF Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians (Age: 29)
Stats: 151 G, 110 OPS+, .282/.382/.349, 27 XBH (3 HR), 5.3 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2027 (2027 projected: $11.3M)
Kwan was Cleveland’s third-highest paid player in 2026, earning $7.725 million, and that figure is projected to climb well past $10 million next season. The Guardians operate with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, and Kwan has been a speculative trade candidate for years. Ahead of his final year of control, moving him would fit the organisation’s philosophy. The emergence of Chase DeLauter and the addition of Jo Adell have also improved Cleveland’s outfield picture.
12. SP Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners (Age: 27)
Stats: 25 GS, 3.57 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 126 K, 138.2 IP, 2.7 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2030 (2027 projected: minimum)
Seattle viewed Hancock as its No. 6 starter entering the year. He earned an Opening Day rotation spot when Bryce Miller was sidelined with an injury. The former No. 6 overall pick seized the opportunity, posting a 2.59 ERA over 41.2 innings in his first seven starts, and he kept his rotation spot for the rest of the season. With four years of control remaining, he is significantly more valuable than his surface-level track record suggests.
Nos. 11-10
11. SP Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels (Age: 27)
Stats: 32 GS, 3.36 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 211 K, 185.0 IP, 4.2 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2028 (2027 projected: $7.5M)
Detmers pitched well out of the Angels bullpen in 2025, following a 6.70 ERA over 17 starts the previous year, and that performance earned him another shot in the rotation. He finished in the American League top 10 in strikeouts (211, fourth), innings pitched (185.0, sixth) and pitcher WAR (4.2, eighth). His value may never be higher for a team that is coming off a 100-loss season and is long overdue for a rebuild.
10. SP Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners (Age: 29)
Stats: 32 GS, 3.73 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 205 K, 186.0 IP, 3.3 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2027 (2027 projected: $15.4M)
Extension talks have made little progress, and free agency approaches quickly after the 2027 season. Gilbert could sit at the top of the list if Seattle decides to cash in one of its rotation trade chips. Over the past five seasons, he has been one of baseball’s most consistent starters, posting a 3.46 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while averaging 192 strikeouts and 180 innings per year.
Nos. 9-8
9. SP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins (Age: 30)
Stats: 27 GS, 3.79 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 159 K, 144.2 IP, 2.1 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2027 (2027 projected: $9.6M)
Minnesota avoided arbitration with Ryan last January and added a $13 million mutual option for 2027 to the books. The club will almost certainly pay the $100,000 buyout on that option in favour of a considerably lower arbitration projection. Ryan could still end up on another club’s books if the Twins take another step towards rebuilding. Minnesota clung tightly to Byron Buxton and Ryan as building blocks a year ago, but after a 29-36 second half and a second straight losing season, bigger changes could be coming.
8. SS Jeremy Peña, Houston Astros (Age: 29)
Stats: 112 G, 124 OPS+, .277/.325/.477, 43 XBH (22 HR), 3.7 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2027 (2027 projected: $13.1M)
When Peña hired Scott Boras as his agent in June 2025, the chances of a long-term extension before he reached the open market fell considerably. A wide-open AL West led Houston to avoid selling at the deadline. Even if the Astros view themselves as contenders in 2027, flipping Peña before losing him in free agency remains on the table.
Nos. 7-6
7. C William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers (Age: 28)
Stats: 147 G, 108 OPS+, .270/.341/.417, 46 XBH (18 HR), 2.9 WAR
Contract: $14.5M club option in 2027
Milwaukee has made a habit of trading star players as they approach free agency, including Hader, Corbin Burnes, Williams and Freddy Peralta. That history puts Contreras in the trade conversation, particularly if the club believes former top prospect Jeferson Quero is a viable in-house replacement.
6. C Shea Langeliers, Athletics (Age: 28)
Stats: 106 G, 118 OPS+, .262/.328/.474, 44 XBH (23 HR), 3.4 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2028 (2027 projected: $8.7M)
Langeliers started the 2026 All-Star Game and carried a .807 OPS and 21 home runs into the break. A torn meniscus in his right knee limited him to 20 games in the second half, but he returned for 13 games in September to show potential suitors that he is healthy. The Athletics have locked up several members of their young offensive core in recent years, but Langeliers has not been among them. He could be the piece Oakland flips to upgrade one of baseball’s worst rotations.
Nos. 5-4
5. C Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies (Age: 27)
Stats: 138 G, 115 OPS+, .245/.310/.529, 63 XBH (41 HR), 2.6 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2029 (2027 projected: $6.2M)
Only seven players across baseball have hit more home runs over the past two seasons than the 72 Goodman has slugged. His 41 home runs this year tied him for third on the National League leaderboard with Braves slugger Matt Olson.
He posted significantly better numbers on the road (.882 OPS, 25 HR) than at home (.791 OPS, 16 HR), so Coors Field is not inflating an otherwise average performer. He has also developed into a serviceable defender behind the plate, although his bat will always drive his value.
Colorado has endured a fourth straight 100-loss season, and nothing should be off the table as the Rockies look for ways to improve. The asking price will be high given his remaining control, but he may be the most impactful power bat on the market.
4. SS Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels (Age: 25)
Stats: 157 G, 118 OPS+, .239/.330/.436, 63 XBH (27 HR), 5.2 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2029 (2027 projected: $9.8M)
Neto has recorded three straight seasons of 20 home runs, 20 steals and 5.0 WAR, and he has developed into one of the best all-around shortstops in baseball. He rarely receives the attention he deserves while playing for a franchise that has banked 11 consecutive losing seasons.
The Angels took a step towards retooling at the deadline by trading several controllable pieces, including José Soriano, Adell and Ryan Zeferjahn. They kept their two most valuable trade chips, however, in Neto and left-hander Reid Detmers. Their status as a perennial also-ran, combined with a newfound willingness to move controllable players, should make Neto one of the most discussed trade candidates of the winter.
Nos. 3-2
3. RP Mason Miller, San Diego Padres (Age: 28)
Stats: 66 G, 38 SV, 1.67 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 16.6 K/9, 3.1 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2029 (2027 projected: $8.1M)
San Diego teetered between buying and selling before the 2026 trade deadline. Miller was discussed as one of the top players who could move before the Padres committed to buying, adding Casey Mize and Robbie Ray. With Adrián Morejón and Jason Adam potentially departing in free agency, the Padres will be hesitant to deal their All-Star closer, but his value is so high that they would be unwise not to at least listen to offers.
San Diego needed an elite prospect in Leo De Vries to pry Miller loose from Oakland. If a similar offer arrives, or a team is willing to part with a controllable starting pitcher, he could be on the move again.
2. SS CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals (Age: 26)
Stats: 152 G, 127 OPS+, .261/.336/.497, 67 XBH (33 HR), 5.1 WAR
Contract: Arbitration through 2028 (2027 projected: $10.2M)
Washington finished among the MLB leaders in runs scored (821, third), home runs (210, sixth) and OPS (.744, third), and a breakout offensive season from Abrams helped drive those numbers. After posting a 109 OPS+ with 19 home runs and 31 steals in 2025, he reached another level with the first 30/30 season of his career and 106 RBIs, which ranked fourth in the National League.
The Nationals flipped starter MacKenzie Gore last winter while still trying to build back towards contention. They could do the same with Abrams if the right package of talent improves their long-term outlook enough to justify moving an increasingly expensive star.
No. 1
1. OF Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves (Age: 28)
Stats: 107 G, 118 OPS+, .255/.345/.451, 39 XBH (20 HR), 1.9 WAR
Contract: $17M club option in 2027 and 2028
A chorus of boos rained down on Acuña as he grounded out to end the seventh inning of Game 4 of the NLDS, stranding a runner on second base and leaving his playoff line at 3-for-24 with no RBIs. Will that be his final at-bat in a Braves uniform?
The 2023 NL MVP and face of the franchise had a good-not-great 2026 season. Atlanta was eliminated from the playoffs, and he quickly removed the Braves from his Instagram account, which fuelled speculation that a split could be on the horizon this winter.
With a pair of reasonable $17 million club options for the next two seasons, his contract adds to his value rather than subtracting from it, unlike some other players on this list. The asking price will be astronomical, but the return could be one of the 10 best players in the sport if he locks in and returns to peak-level production.