Every MLB Team’s Player Most Likely to Be Traded in 2024-25 Offseason

New York Yankees: Nestor Cortes

USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale reported that the Yankees nearly dealt Cortes “perhaps to St. Louis for infielder Tommy Edman” prior to the trade deadline, but elected to hold onto him when concerns about a back injury halted a deal that would have brought Jack Flaherty to New York.

Instead, Flaherty and Edman both wound up with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who defeated Cortes and the Yankees in the World Series. Cortes returned from a left elbow flexor strain in time to…give up a walk-off home run to Freddie Freeman in Game 1 of the World Series.

With Gerrit Cole still in the fold, Cortes may be the odd man out in a rotation that also includes Luis Gil, Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt. Cortes has one remaining year of arbitration eligibility before free agency, and given that he posted a 3.77 ERA across 174.1 innings pitched, there should be quite a few suitors.

Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle

Though they ultimately held onto both, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported in July that the Orioles were willing to consider offers for both Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins this offseason. That leads you to believe general manager Mike Elias will at least pick up the phone on both this winter.

With Anthony Santander potentially departing in free agency, we’re going to guess that the O’s will hold onto Mullins, not wanting to replace two of their three starting outfielders from a season ago.

Baltimore doesn’t have to move Mountcastle, who has become a strong defender as evidenced by the eight defensive runs saved he posted this past year. But he’s never come close to matching the 33 home runs and 89 RBI he posted in 2021. The adjustments that the Orioles are making to the dimensions at Camden Yards could help him improve in 2025, but a change of scenery might not hurt either.

Boston Red Sox: Rob Refsnyder

Relative to expectations, Masataka Yoshida has disappointed in his first two MLB seasons. He’s essentially a platoon player who has been more of a DH than an outfielder. But he’s got three seasons remaining on a five-year, $90 million deal, so he probably doesn’t have a ton of trade value.

Even if Yoshida is used mostly as a DH, Alex Cora’s club could end up with a surplus of outfielders in 2024. As is, they have Rob Refsnyder, Jarren Durran, Wilyer Abreu and super-utility man Ceddanne Rafaela, who graded out much better defensively in center field than at shortstop. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi has also reported that the Red Sox have interest in corner outfielder Teoscar Hernández.

Refsnyder could ultimately be someone who is moved to fill another area of need. The 33-year-old posted a .941 OPS against left-handed pitching last season and can offer some positional flexibility. The Red Sox picked up his 2025 club option, but that would hardly prevent him from being moved considering it’s only for $2.1 million.

Tampa Bay Rays: Brandon Lowe

Speaking of players who had their options picked up, the low-budget Rays exercised the $10.5 million option they had on Lowe for 2025. They have a rather non-descript lineup right now, so they may want to keep the veteran presence of Lowe.

With that said, since looking like an emerging superstar with 39 home runs and an .863 OPS in 2021, Lowe has played in just 281 of a possible 486 games over the past three seasons. Is that someone a team like the Rays—a franchise that doesn’t love spending—plans to pay $10.5 million in 2025? Color us skeptical.

Lowe has still had some productive stretches over the last three seasons, so there will likely be interest in him if the Rays are willing to consider offers. Any acquiring team would not only be getting him for 2025, but they would also be inheriting an $11.5 million club option for 2026.

Toronto Blue Jays: Tommy Nance

Even if it doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Blue Jays—coming off of a 74-win season—to carry Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Chris Bassitt into their contract years, it seems like that’s what they’ll do.

If the Blue Jays intend to try to compete in 2025, general manager Ross Atkins should probably add rather than subtract. Any bullpen additions might mean Nance—who had a 4.09 ERA over 20 appearances this past season and is out of options—could be moved to clear space.