Top 25 MLB trade candidates for 2026-27 offseason: Paul Skenes, Jeremy Peña and more who could move

With the Milwaukee Brewerscrowned 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. Ranking the top 50 MLB free agents for the 2026-27 offseason, plus landing spots for every player Mike Axisa 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: Bold possibilities from contenders: Here we'll find core contributors on teams with legit playoff/World Series aspirations who, despite those factors, still may be on the block for reasons of salary escalation, to fill roster needs elsewhere, or to make room for an incoming high-ceiling prospect.