Shaw is the guy the Cubs should/will trade in the short term. Yes, he offers versatility and a bat that projects to get better, but he needs regular playing time.
It's looking increasingly likely that the deal that sent Christian Vazquez to the Houston Astros for Wilyer Abreu will be remembered not only as Chaim Bloom's best trade during his tenure at the helm of the Red Sox, but as one of the best trade's in recent baseball memory. Abreu has already won two Gold Gloves and isn't that far off from making the all-star team.
On Feb. 10, 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized their three-team trade with the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins to acquire Mookie Betts and David Price. It marked the end of a whirlwind period that saw multiple deals fall apart. The Red Sox initially were set to receive Alex Verdugo and Brusdar Graterol, but sought additional compensation after taking issue with the latter's medicals. The right-hander instead was sent to the Dodgers for a package that centered around Kenta Maeda.
Boston's quest for infield help has been one of their primary offseason storylines, with such names as Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Ketel Marte, Eugenio Suarez, Nico Hoerner, Brendan Donovan and many others reportedly considered as free agent or trade targets. In Donovan's case, Rome and Rosenthal report that the Sox had some negotiations with the Astros and Cardinals about a three-team trade that would've sent Paredes to Boston, Donovan to Houston, and presumably a multi-player prospect package to the rebuilding Cardinals.
On Jan. 14, 2006, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson and southpaw Chuck Tiffany to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for right-handed relievers Danys Baez and Lance Carter, and cash considerations or a player to be named later. At the time, Jackson was a 22-year-old who was the Dodgers' best prospect but the organization gave up on him after he struggled at the Major League Level.
We are inching toward Spring Training, and the Atlanta Braves are still unsure about the status of catcher Sean Murphy. Murphy underwent season-ending surgery in September after a right hip ailment, and though he may be ready for Opening Day, it's wise for the Braves to explore other options as a precaution. From Drake Baldwin to Chadwick Tromp or J.T. Realmuto, let's outline the 2026 catching options should Sean Murphy be unavailable at the start of the season.
Romero, 29, is one of the most straightforward trade candidates of the offseason. He is slated for free agency after the upcoming campaign. With the Cardinals rebuilding, there's little sense in hanging onto him. They could wait to trade him at the deadline but that path carries risks, as the Cards know. They held onto Erick Fedde and Ryan Helsley going into 2025 and saw both pitchers decrease their respective trade values with poor performances.
He's owed $20 million in 2026 (and has a club option for 2027 worth $20 million). Considering he hit .223/.297/.364 (84 wRC+) this past season, it's hard to argue for the 28-year-old outfielder being a net-positive value on his current contract. And yet, that hasn't stopped multiple MLB teams from reportedly contacting the White Sox about his availability. It's really a confounding situation, especially since the Toronto Blue Jays have far more attractive trade chips that could interest any of the teams
1995 - The Braves trade Kent Mercker to the Orioles in exchange for Joe Borowski and Rachaad Stewart. Merker spent the first seven years of his career with the Braves where he went 31-25 with a 3.49 ERA in 515 ⅔ innings. He appeared in 14 games for the Orioles in 1996 before they sent him to Cleveland in exchange for future Hall of Fame first baseman Eddie Murray.
Impact free agents like Devin Williams and Dylan Cease have already signed, and the trade market has been buzzing all winter long with deals like the Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien swap, Boston's acquisition of Sonny Gray, and last night's five-player deal between the Pirates and Red Sox. The activity should only ratchet up from here leading up to and throughout the meetings, with plenty of exciting moves to come in the next few days.
If recent predictions from ESPN's top baseball writers carry any weight, it doesn't look like the Cubs are expected to do much on the trade front. Though Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel listed as many as eight team fits for each of their top 25 trade candidates this offseason, the Cubs did not appear a single time. Not for Tarik Skubal (No. 1), not for Byron Buxton (5), not for Joe Ryan (6),
O'Hearn was an eighth-round draft choice of the Kansas City Royals in 2014, and he made his MLB debut on July 31st, 2018. He fared well in his first taste of major league action and finished the year batting .262 with 10 doubles, 12 homers, 30 RBI, and a .950 OPS. He was seen as a potential core piece for the rebuilding Royals.
The Blue Jays acquired Hernández before the 2017 trade deadline, with the outfielder breaking out in June of 2019 after a stint in Triple-A. Over his next 1660 plate appearances from Jun. 5, 2019, until the end of the 2022 season, Hernández slashed .277/.332/.525 with 96 home runs, for a 131 wRC+. During that span, he earned MVP votes in 2020 and 2021, the same two years he won a Silver Slugger for the outfield. He also earned his first All-Star Game nomination in 2021.
The Braves acquired Sean Murphy from the Athletics in a three-team deal. The Braves sent three somewhat decent minor leaguers and William Contreras to get him. I won't rehash it, but it seemed like good value each way at the time. Though, you can argue if it was worth it. I won't stop you. But how did the Brewers get William Contreras? I mean, I clearly understand how it happened, but I don't understand how they were able to muscle their way into this trade.
"I was hoping I'd be traded again because looking at the Dodger roster at the time, I thought I was going to make a career out of Triple-A baseball," Hernandez said. "(President of baseball operations) Andrew Friedman got on the phone with me and said their plans were real with me. They were looking for players like me as far as playing different positions. And I was saying to myself, 'Alright, sure. I'll believe it when I see it.'"
In 2020, Andrés Giménez finished his rookie season by finishing in the top 10 in NL Rookie of the Year voting as a member of the New York Mets. After one season in New York, Gimenez's tenure with the Mets was shortly over. Giménez was traded by the Mets in part of the trade that sent superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor to New York from Cleveland.
When A.J. Preller executed five trades involving 22 players in six hours, he was both celebrated and criticized, reflecting his polarizing reputation in Major League Baseball.
