After Juan Soto was moved to the New York Yankees earlier this month, the largest domino in the MLB offseason trade market has already fallen, but there are still a number of impact players who could be moving this winter.
Beyond the Soto trade, there haven’t been many major trades due to a sluggish free-agent market. However, as more big names hit the open market, more teams will begin to focus on the trade block.
The 10 trade chips that will still be most influential in 2024 are listed here, along with a glance at their expected stats based on FanGraphs’ Depth Charts forecasts.
To begin, let’s quickly review the
Mark Canha, OF, Oakland Athletics
125 G, 39 XBH (14 HR), 113 wRC+,.258/.353/.407, 60 RBI, 62 R, 1.5 WAR
After being dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers at the deadline, Canha played in 50 games and finished with a 120 OPS+, 10 doubles, 5 home runs, and 33 RBI. At the beginning of the offseason, the 34-year-old was moved once more, this time to Detroit, where the Tigers quickly exercised a $11.5 million club option to acquire him
Boston Red Sox’s Tyler O’Neill, an OF
.247/.327/.443, 125 G, 105 wRC+, 47 XBH (22 HR), 70 RBI, 66 R, 1.7 WAR
O’Neill, who is clearly looking for a change of scenery following a few poor seasons in St. Louis, is still not that far removed from his 34-home run, 6.1-WAR year in 2021, which also saw him win his second consecutive Gold Glove. He may turn out to be one of the offseason’s best finds, and the Red Sox didn’t have to give up much to get him.
AL Alex Verdugo, Yankees OF
.267/.327/.417, 40 XBH (13 HR), 59 RBI, 61 R, 1.6 WAR, 118 G, 107 wRC+
The Yankees’ acquisition of Verdugo in a unique deal with the rival Red Sox served as the prelude to the trade of Juan Soto. The 27-year-old has averaged 2.9 WAR per 162 games over the past five seasons with a 106 OPS+ in 2,448 plate appearances, but he never quite lived up to the hype of being the centerpiece of the Mookie Betts trade in Boston.
Honorable Mentions: OF Jarred Kelenic (ATL), IF Nicky Lopez (ATL), C Max Stassi (CWS), IF Abraham Toro (OAK), IF Luis UrÃas (SEA), 1B/OF Jake Bauers (MIL), C Christian Bethancourt (MIA), OF Trent Grisham (NYY), C Kyle Higashioka (SD),
Juan Soto, an OF with the NY Yankees
57 XBH (39 HR), 170 wRC+,.284/.425/.557, 110 RBI, 113 R, 6.8 WAR, 157 G.
Soto is a perennial MVP candidate with the offensive tools to turn around a Yankees lineup that has relied too much on Aaron Judge in recent years. He is by far the biggest domino to fall on the offseason trade market. Is he really a one-year rental, or will he sign a long-term agreement before Opening Day?
3B Arizona Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suárez
.232/.322/.409, 49 XBH (23 HR), 77 RBI, 73 R, 1.6 WAR, 144 G, 99 wRC+
When it comes to playing third base for Arizona last season, Suárez should be an improvement over fellow veteran Evan Longoria, who finished with a 93 OPS+, 11 home runs, and 28 RBI in 74 games. Suárez is a frequent 30-homer threat, a dependable glove at third base, and a key veteran voice in the locker room despite his high strikeout rate.