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7 New MLB Trade Ideas for Teams Still Looking for Offseason Upgrades

Joel Reuter

With the baseball world's annual migration to sunny Arizona and Florida for spring training now right around the corner, there are still several teams with significant holes to plug on the roster between now and Opening Day.

The free-agent market still has a few impact players looking for a new home, but the bulk of the wheeling and dealing going forward will likely take place on the trade market.

Ahead are seven fresh trade ideas for teams still looking to plug remaining roster holes, from smaller scale change of scenery type moves to legitimate blockbuster deals that would impact the MLB landscape.

We'll start small and work our way up to the most impactful of the bunch.

Andrew Nardi to the Toronto Blue Jays

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To TOR: RP Andrew Nardi

To MIA: SP Fernando Perez

If you're not familiar with Andrew Nardi, that's not surprising.

The 26-year-old has spent the last three seasons pitching in a setup role for the Miami Marlins, and while his 5.07 ERA in 59 appearances last season does not jump off the page, a closer look at his numbers reveals some intriguing potential.

That bloated ERA was accompanied by a far more encouraging 3.33 FIP, and he is just a year removed from logging a 2.67 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 63 games.

Armed with a mid-90s fastball and a terrific slider that generated a 34.2 percent whiff rate, he struck out 70 of the 210 batters he faced, good for a 33.3 percent strikeout rate that ranked 16th among all qualified relievers.

The Blue Jays finished 29th in the majors with a 4.82 ERA from their bullpen last season, and while they have added Jeff Hoffman in free agency and brought back Yimi García, they still made a serious push to sign Tanner Scott and could pivot to Nardi to fill the need for a late-inning lefty.

In exchange, the Marlins get a high-floor pitching prospect in 20-year-old Fernando Perez. It won't take a blockbuster return, but the Blue Jays will likely need to part with a prospect of significance given Nardi's four remaining years of club control.

Brett Baty to the Washington Nationals

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To WAS: 3B Brett Baty

To NYM: SP Cade Cavalli

Third baseman Brett Baty and right-hander Cade Cavalli were both prominently featured on Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list prior to the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Baty, 25, was the No. 12 overall pick in the 2019 draft out of high school on the strength of his significant power potential, and he looked like a future star when he hit .315/.410/.533 with 22 doubles, 19 home runs and 60 RBI in 95 games in the upper levels of the minors.

However, things have yet to click in the majors, and over the last three seasons he has hit .215/.282/.325 for a 70 OPS+ in 602 plate appearances. He has showcased some power with 15 doubles, 15 home runs and 55 RBI, but he has also stuck out 159 times at a 26.4 percent clip.

Cavalli, 26, was taken No. 22 overall the following year and by 2022 he made his MLB debut after logging a 3.71 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 104 strikeouts in 97 innings at Triple-A.

However, the following spring he suffered a UCL sprain that ultimately led to Tommy John surgery, and he missed all of 2023 and the bulk of 2024 as a result, but heads into this season with a clean bill of health.

The Nationals have a clear void at third base and the Mets could use more quality starting pitching depth in the system behind top prospect Brandon Sproat, so a change-of-scenery swap looks like a good move for both sides.

Erick Fedde to the Atlanta Braves

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To ATL: SP Erick Fedde

To STL: SP Bryce Elder

The St. Louis Cardinals have not had the offseason fire sale many were expecting when they began the offseason by proclaiming that they wanted to get younger and build toward the future, but there is still time for some of their veterans to find new homes.

Right-hander Erick Fedde returned from a wildly successful stint in the KBO last season on a two-year, $15 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, and he pitched well enough to be an in-demand trade chip, eventually landing in St. Louis on his way to posting a 3.30 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 154 strikeouts in 177.1 innings.

With a team-friendly $7.5 million salary, he is a logical target for any team looking to add a quality arm to the middle of the rotation.

The Atlanta Braves could opt to rely on some combination of Grant Holmes, Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, Bryce Elder, Dylan Dodd and Davis Daniel to fill the holes in the rotation created by the departures of Max Fried and Charlie Morton.

However, adding at least one more proven veteran to help bridge the gap until Spencer Strider returns could go a long way.

Would the Cardinals be interested in buying low on Elder?

The 25-year-old was an All-Star in 2023 and he has club control through the 2029 season, but he struggled to a 6.52 ERA in 10 starts last year while spending much of the season back at Triple-A.

Josh Smith to the New York Yankees

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To NYY: IF Josh Smith

To TEX: SP Marcus Stroman, C/1B Rafael Flores, cash

In hindsight, the New York Yankees clearly made a mistake when they traded Josh Smith and Ezequiel Durán to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Joey Gallo at the 2021 trade deadline.

A do-over of sorts could now solve a glaring roster hole.

Smith, 27, found his way into an expanded role last season filling in for the injured Josh Jung at third base. He ended up putting together a breakout season, posting a 110 OPS+ with 30 doubles, 13 home runs, 62 RBI, 11 steals and 3.2 WAR in 149 games.

With Jung back to full health, Smith is expected to return to a utility role, so the Rangers might be willing to move him in the right deal. He would fill a void on the infield for the Yankees, and with club control through 2028, serves as more than just a stopgap.

On the flip side, the Rangers would make sense as a landing spot for Marcus Stroman, who the Yankees have been trying to offload since they signed Max Fried shortly after the winter meetings wrapped. He would provide some welcome insurance to a rotation that is relying heavily on Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle, who pitched a combined 23.1 innings in 2024.

With an $18.5 million salary for 2025 and a $18 million player option for 2026 if he reaches 140 innings pitched, the Yankees will have to include a significant chunk of cash to move him. He is essentially a salary dump from a value standpoint, so they would also need to package him with a quality prospect.

Rafael Flores hit .279/.379/.495 with 31 doubles, 21 home runs and 68 RBI in 122 games between High-A and Double-A during a breakout 2024 season, and while it remains to be seen if he can stick behind the plate, he has impact offensive potential.

Michael King to the Detroit Tigers

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To DET: SP Michael King

To SD: 1B Spencer Torkelson, C/1B Josue Briceño, SP Ty Madden

The San Diego Padres entered the offseason in need of some financial flexibility, and they have yet to make a major move of any sort, either adding or subtracting from the current roster.

Ace Dylan Cease has been at the center of some trade rumors ahead of his final year of club control, but only recently has fellow starter Michael King also seen his name surface on the rumor mill.

King ($7.9 million projected) does not carry as high a price tag as Cease ($13.75 million), but trading him would still give the Padres some wiggle room to address other needs on the roster, and dealing him now is the best way to maximize his value as he too is headed for free agency next winter.

The Detroit Tigers found a way to work around a rotation that was lacking behind Tarik Skubal a year ago, and they added Alex Cobb in free agency, but landing a pitcher like King would give them a clear No. 2 option behind the reigning AL Cy Young winner.

In exchange, the Padres buy low on former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson, who fills their need for another bat in the designated hitter role and gives them additional flexibility if they decide to shop Luis Arraez more aggressively.

The 25-year-old has a 31-homer season under his belt in 2023, but he has hit just .221/.300/.392 for a 94 OPS+ in 1,469 plate appearances in the majors. He is not arbitration-eligible for the first time until next season, so the Padres could give him a shot at roughly the league minimum and non-tender him next winter if things don't work out.

The Tigers would also need to include significant prospect talent in this deal, and selling high on Josue Briceño following his Arizona Fall League MVP run makes sense. The team already has another "catcher of the future" in Thayron Liranzo, and he also has a better defensive profile.

Rounding out the package, Ty Madden gives the Padres a MLB-ready starter with a first-round pedigree and swing-and-miss stuff as he has racked up 403 strikeouts in 337.1 innings in the minors.

Luis Robert Jr. to the Pittsburgh Pirates

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To PIT: OF Luis Robert Jr.

To CWS: SP Thomas Harrington, 1B/OF Tony Blanco Jr., SP Khristian Curtis

With a dynamic young starting rotation headlined by Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been disappointingly quiet this offseason as far as offensive upgrades are concerned.

That could all change with a blockbuster deal to acquire Luis Robert Jr.

Despite injury issues, Robert has been a star when healthy, posting a 117 OPS+ over his five seasons in the majors while averaging 36 doubles, 31 home runs, 85 RBI, 24 steals and 4.8 WAR per 162 games.

The 27-year-old has a $15 million salary for the 2025 season and a pair of matching $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027 that both carry a $2 million buyout, so it's not necessarily a risky financial move for a budget-conscious franchise like the Pirates.

He would join Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz to form one of the better offensive outfields in baseball and give Pirates fans a reason to believe the front office is serious about making the jump from rebuilding to contending.

In exchange, the White Sox could pick from a deep collection of starting pitching talent in the Pirates farm system, headlined by Bubba Chandler (No. 28 on B/R Top 100), Thomas Harrington (No. 86 on B/R Top 100) and Braxton Ashcraft (Next 50 on B/R Top 100).

There is a good chance Chandler will be off-limits, but a package built around Harrington could get a deal done after he logged a 2.61 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with a 115-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 117.1 innings across three minor league levels.

Tony Blanco Jr. is a towering 6'7", 243-pound slugger entering his age-20 season, while Khristian Curtis is a pitching prospect on the rise who has already exceeded the modest expectations that came with being a 12th-round pick in the 2023 draft.

Luis Castillo to the San Francisco Giants

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To SF: SP Luis Castillo

To SEA: 1B/OF LaMonte Wade Jr., IF Marco Luciano, OF Dakota Jordan

The Seattle Mariners have been shopping veteran starter Luis Castillo this offseason in an attempt to find MLB-ready offensive help.

They balked at a package of Triston Casas and Masataka Yoshida in talks with the Red Sox, but Boston's insistence that they take on Yoshida's remaining contract was a sticking point in negotiations. The above-proposed trade package does not include a player of Casas' caliber, but it's also not the same financial drain.

With three years remaining on his contract, Castillo is more than just a hired gun, and he would fill the void left by the departure of Blake Snell in the co-ace role alongside Logan Webb.

In return, the Mariners get a talented offensive player who can help immediately in LaMonte Wade Jr., along with a pair of high-ceiling lottery tickets in Marco Luciano and Dakota Jordan.

Despite lacking prototypical power for a first baseman, Wade has still posted a 121 OPS+ in 920 plate appearances the last two years, logging a .376 on-base percentage along the way. The 31-year-old provides some versatility with the ability to play in the outfield, and while he is a free agent next winter, he would provide the immediate offensive boost the M's need.

Luciano began each of the past five seasons as a Top 100 prospect, peaking at No. 12 on that list and spending three years in a top 20 spot, but his stock has dipped after he hit just .217/.286/.304 for a 69 OPS+ with 45 strikeouts in 126 plate appearances in the majors.

Still only 23 years old, he could benefit from a change of scenery and compete for the Mariners starting second base job during spring training.

Jordan, 21, hit .354/.459/.671 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI in 63 games at Mississippi State last spring before signing an above-slot deal as a fourth-round pick. A 3-star wide receiver recruit out of high school, his elite athleticism and 60-grade power give him an intriguing offensive ceiling, though his hit tool is still raw.

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