These Under-The-Radar Trade Candidates Could Ignite This Winter's Trade Market

[Lou Hennessy]

Earlier this week, we talked about some more obvious trade candidates to be moved this offseason, possibly even during next week’s Winter Meetings in Orlando. These usual suspects provide fun speculation for baseball fans, but their inclusion in trade chatter is starting to get, dare I say, kind of stale. 

For fans who want to get a little more creative in their offseason speculation rumors, here are a handful of under-the-radar candidates that could feasibly be traded in the near future. 

2B Ketel Marte
One of the premier second basemen in the game may be a hot name on this year’s trade market. Marte (.283 AVG, .893 OPS, 28 HR) is a middle-of-the-order type bat that can play solid defense at a premium position. Sure, he just signed a long-term deal with the Diamondbacks last winter that is set to pay him $117 million through 2030, but the snakes find themselves in a tricky spot in their loaded division, and if they wait too much longer, Marte will earn 10-and-5 rights (10 years of service time, last five with the same team), which means he’ll have to approve any trade after that point. And at 32 years old, the Diamondbacks may want to sell high. 

Possible fits: Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers

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RF Wilyer Abreu
The young outfielder may not be a marquee name around the league, but Abreu (110 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR in 2025) has quietly been a very strong performer for the Red Sox since making his debut in 2023. Over the last three years, he has had a combined .791 OPS, paired with elite defense in right field, and his improvement looks legitimate when you look under the hood. Abreu displayed strong bat speed, which led to more hard contact in 2025, and he improved his strikeout and walk rates over the year prior. 
If the Red Sox can reel in one or more of their free agent bat targets, they could look to sell high on someone like Abreu, who is heading into his age-27 season and is under club control through 2029. Understandably, the Sox would most likely have a pretty high asking price for their young left-handed outfield stud. But if a team comes calling with, let’s say, a front-end starting pitcher, it could create an interesting match. 

Possible fits: Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers

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OF/DH George Springer
The veteran slugger had a resurgent season in 2025, but the Blue Jays could look to unload the 36-year-old in the final year of his contract, where he’s due $25 million. Springer (166 wRC+, 5.2 fWAR) showed that there’s still plenty to like about his game, even after being relegated to mostly playing designated hitter in the second half of the season. But his bat may impress enough that it really doesn’t matter if a team wants to try and hide him in right field or accept that he should stick as the DH at this point in his career. Springer was among the top hitters in the American League in both his surface-level numbers and the underlying metrics, and with just one year remaining on his deal, he could be of interest to a plethora of teams looking to add a pure hitter. 
It’s hard to say whether the Blue Jays would be pushing to move their leadoff man, who led them to the World Series last year. But if they can reel in Kyle Tucker to a mega deal, it could behove them to explore a Springer trade as long as it brings something exciting in return while clearing some of that $25 million. 

Possible fits: Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets

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1B/C Ben Rice
I would imagine this would be a long shot, but if the Yankees are able to sign Pete Alonso or Muneteka Marakami to a long-term deal, Rice (133 wRC+, 3.0 fWAR) would make for a fascinating trade piece. The 26-year-old slugger had a breakout season in 2025, belting 26 home runs and getting on base at a .337 clip. He wasn’t a standout defender at first base, but he was passable there and even has the ability to catch, though he may not have a long-term future behind the dish. 

Many teams would be drooling at the thought of having Rice in the middle of their lineup for the next five seasons, making the minimum salary for the next two. He’s a prime-aged, baseball savant darling, and a return package to the Yankees would need to dazzle. Maybe that’s an ace-caliber pitcher, or a sizable prospect haul. 

Possible fits: Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds

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OF Oneil Cruz
He may not be the star on the Pittsburgh Pirates that many were hoping to see in trade speculation (ahem… Paul Skenes), but their electric outfielder could be a solid get for teams looking for long-term help in the outfield. Cruz (86 wRC+, 1.6 fWAR) still managed to hit the ball harder than anyone (100th percentile average exit velocity, 97th percentile hard-hit rate) despite a generally down year compared to expectations heading into 2025. The 27-year-old is still a force to be reckoned with on the basepaths (38 SB) and as a plus defender in center field (with some experience at shortstop, to boot). 

Cruz is entering his first year of arbitration and is projected to make around $3.6 million. If the frugal-minded Pirates continue their trusted churn and burn ways with their young stars, and they stick to their word about hanging on to Skenes for 2026, then it could point to Cruz being among their big-ticket items on the trade market. 

Possible fits: Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets

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C Harry Ford
With MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh entrenched behind the plate in Seattle for years to come, the Mariners don’t have much room for one of the best MLB-ready catching prospects in the game. Ford (125 wRC+ at Triple A in 2025) is a consensus top 100 global prospect and made his MLB debut in September. He’s an on-base machine who has one of the strongest catcher arms in this prospect class, and his emerging power at the plate makes him a triple-threat. He could be a team’s catcher for the next seven seasons, and has All-Star upside if all goes well. 

The Mariners could ask for a star-level slugger in return, with second base, third base, and right field standing out as clear areas for improvement. They have an enviable starting rotation, but a playoff-caliber starting pitcher to pair with Bryan Woo and Logan Gilbert could be a welcome return, especially if they try to trade Luis Castillo and the $42 million left on his deal. 

Possible fits: Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays

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What do you think? Do any of these names stand out to you as under-the-radar trade candidates? Who else could you see surprising folks on this winter’s trade market? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and as always, stay sweet. 

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[Parfigliano]

Prediction.....TC signs none of them.

[old nurse]

10 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

Prediction.....TC signs none of them.

They are trade candidates not free agents. Best prognostication of the day.