With the Milwaukee Brewers crowned as the 2026 World Series champions, the 2026-27 Major League Baseball offseason is now upon us. While the arc, pace, and even length of this offseason are all uncertain thanks to the ongoing CBA negotiations, we do know that at some point before the next season begins, we'll have a flurry of free agent signings and trades. The focus in this space right now is on the latter: possible winter trades.
We're about to examine the 25 leading trade candidates of the offseason. Obviously, this won't be an exhaustive list of players who might be traded, and just as obviously not all of these names to come will be on the move. Some, though, will, and all of these names have been deemed as distinct possibilities based on reporting, service time and payroll considerations, and prior organizational decision-making.
We'll explore names by putting them in groups based on the underlying reasons or causes of their status as trade candidates. Here are those groups: The 25 names to come won't be ranked, but instead will be listed alphabetically within their respective categories. Duran's taken a serious fall from the heights of 2024, when he earned an All-Star selection and cracked the top 10 of the American League MVP vote.
He cratered last season, which makes this winter something of an inopportune time to trade him from the Boston standpoint. That said, the Red Sox have a crowded outfield with Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Roman Anthony, which means a Duran swap may be needed to clear the decks. If nothing else, the 30-year-old outfielder presents a buy-low/change-of-scenery opportunity for a team looking to take a risk.
Potential fits: Phillies, Cubs, Mariners, Rangers Chances he'll be traded (wild guess): 50% Hernández has been a reliable power presence for the Dodgers, but now, at age 34, he's been showing some signs of decline. On another level, the Dodgers want to make space for elite prospect Josue De Paula to receive regular playing time, and there aren't any other paths to it. That may mean Hernández will be on the move.
Potential fits: Phillies, Cubs, Mariners Chances he'll be traded (wild guess): 45% Kwan's another who's been a reliable presence in the trade rumors for some time. Cleveland also has a history of dealing core talents leading up to their walk year, and Kwan is indeed slated for free agency after next season. The timing would be right, as Kwan is coming off a 5.0-WAR season for the second time in his career.
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