It’s nearly February, and there are still quite a few major chess pieces on the board expected to move this MLB offseason.
So far this winter, teams have spent more than $2.5 billion in free agency, while multiple major trades have altered franchise outlooks around the league. The wild part? There’s almost certainly more coming.
Back in November, I ranked the top 10 trade candidates heading into the offseason. Some of them are still available and likely to move before the season starts. What follows is a look at the best fits for the five biggest trade candidates as the 2026 season approaches.
Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers
After he won the AL Cy Young Award in each of the past two seasons, the Tigers don’t want to trade Skubal, but they likely have to. He’ll be a free agent after the 2026 season, and Detroit needs to get something for him before he hits the open market. I’m sure the franchise would love to keep him long-term, but the two sides are reportedly nowhere close to a contract extension.
It’s almost February and Skubal hasn’t moved, but that doesn’t mean he won’t. He’s in a back-and-forth battle with Paul Skenes for the title of best pitcher in baseball, and the 29-year-old lefty likely holds the belt right now. If he does get traded, he’d be among the best rentals ever to move. Over the past three seasons, Skubal is 38–13 with a 2.39 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 571 strikeouts against 82 walks. He leads MLB pitchers with 15.9 fWAR in that time.
Each of the other 29 teams could use him, but he’ll either stay in Detroit or wind up on a contender. The Dodgers are always going to be a threat despite their loaded rotation, and you can never count out A.J. Preller and the Padres. That said, there are teams far more likely to swing big on Skubal.
The Astros and Giants both plan to compete this season and could use an elite No. 1 starter. Meanwhile, the Orioles are all-in on a bounce-back season after a wildly disappointing 2025 campaign. They have a glut of good prospects and young players and an opening atop their rotation.
Best fit: Orioles
Jarren Duran slashed .256/.332/.442 and had an AL-best 13 triples in 2025. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox
Unlike Skubal, Duran doesn’t have to move, but the Red Sox have been signaling for more than a year that they’re open to trading him. The 29-year-old is under team control through 2028, which only adds to his value.
Since 2023, Duran is slashing .276/.339/.470 with a wRC+ of 121. His 13.0 fWAR ranks eighth among MLB outfielders, just behind Kyle Tucker (13.2). He’s a speedy corner guy with some extra-base pop in a lefty bat that fell off a bit in ’25.
Despite coming back to earth after a stellar 2024 campaign (.285/.342/.492), Duran is still an incredibly attractive asset.
Two teams stand out as potential partners on a deal. The Phillies are projected to have Adolis García or Nick Castellanos at one of their corner spots heading into the season. That’s not good enough for a team chasing a World Series. The Royals could also use more thump in their outfield, with Jac Caglianone the only stable bat out there.
Best fit: Royals
Ketel Marte, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks were really pushing to move Marte early in the offseason, but those rumors have cooled a bit as they reportedly decided to take him off the market. Still, it could make sense to move on from him given the clubhouse turmoil that swirled last offseason. He’s still an incredibly valuable player and is under contract through 2030, with a player option for 2031.
It might take a big offer to land Marte, but teams won’t stop trying. There’s a good reason for that. Since 2021, Marte has compiled 19.4 fWAR, while slashing .279/.360/.498 and ranking second among MLB second basemen in wRC+ (133). The 32-year-old is a two-time All-Star and finished third in NL MVP voting in 2024.
There’s an obvious fit here. The Red Sox chased Marte early in the offseason and could engage again. Boston has an unsettled second base situation after Kristian Campbell struggled during his debut campaign. Now the franchise is considering moving him to the outfield. Marte could slide right into the open keystone spot.
The Yankees, Phillies, and Tigers could also be partners for a Marte deal if things fell right, but the Red Sox are a near-perfect fit.
Best fit: Red Sox
Brendan Donovan has a career .361 on-base percentage. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
Brendan Donovan, 2B/OF, Cardinals
Virtually everyone on the Cardinals’ roster can be had for the right price, and after moving several guys this offseason, Donovan would appear to be next. The versatile utility man could fit with most teams due to his ability to play all over the diamond. He spent most of his time at second base in 2025, but in 2024, he played 105 games in left field.
During his four MLB seasons, Donovan has slashed .282/.361/.411 with 40 home runs, 202 RBIs and a career wRC+ of 119. He has a nice lefty stroke, doesn’t strike out a ton and was a first-time All-Star in 2025. Think of him as the prize if the price on Marte is too high. To that end, the Red Sox have been tied to him.
Boston and St. Louis have combined on two trades this winter, with Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras going to the Red Sox in separate deals. They could engage again, but, as I said, a ton of teams could use a lefty bat with positional versatility and a .361 career on-base percentage.
I actually really like his potential fit with the Astros. Yes, Jose Altuve is locked in at second base for Houston, but Donovan can play anywhere. Center fielder Jake Meyers has never really broken out, and projected left fielder Zach Cole only has 15 games of MLB experience. Donovan would add another consistent lefty bat to a team looking to make a few final runs while Altuve is still in uniform.
Best fit: Astros
Sandy Alcántara, SP, Miami Marlins
It’s long felt inevitable that Alcántara will get moved by the Marlins at some point, and it could very well happen before Opening Day.
The former NL Cy Young winner struggled mightily coming off Tommy John surgery in 2025, going 11–12 with a 5.36 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, with 165 strikeouts against 57 walks in 174 2/3 innings. That made it difficult for Miami to move him last year. On the positive side, his xFIP was only 4.19, suggesting he was quite unlucky. Alcántara’s four-seamer (97.7 mph) and sinker (97.1 mph) still boast high velocity, but they simply got hit too much. His contract holds a club option for 2027 at $21 million, and he’s only 30, so Alcántara is a relatively low-risk trade piece.
Plenty of teams could use a guy with his stuff—they just have to hope he was knocking the rust off last season. From 2020 through ’23, Alcántara recorded a 3.13 ERA with 598 strikeouts in 661 innings. He also had 10 complete games while compiling 15.3 fWAR.
If the Orioles can’t land Skubal, they’d be a team to watch for here, as would the Giants and Astros. That said, the Padres make a lot of sense for the big righty.
San Diego surprisingly re-signed Michael King this winter, but still has a rotation that needs filling out. Nick Pivetta did heroic work last year, and he’ll slot in at No. 2, but with Yu Darvish contemplating retirement and Joe Musgrove returning from Tommy John surgery, things are up in the air otherwise. Randy Vásquez certainly earned himself a back-end spot with this 2025 performance, but JP Sears did not. Guys like Matt Waldron and Miguel Mendez could fight for a rotation spot in spring training, but Alcántara makes a lot of sense for the Padres as a buy-low candidate.
Best fit: Padres
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