MLB Execs & Scouts Pick Top 5 Most Likely to be Traded This Spring

It's not often that MLB teams make trades during spring training, but it has happened before. Talks had been going strong all offseason, and many transactions didn't get completed, so we can expect trade conversations to continue.

The Athletic's Jayson Stark has surveyed 36 executives, former executives, managers, coaches and scouts to find out which players they feel are the most likely to be traded before Opening Day. And while 28 different players got votes, the Top 5 (plus a couple more) stand out as having received multiple ballots.

CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals — 7 votes
Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins — 6
Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros — 4
Lars Nootbaar, St. Louis Cardinals — 3
Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers — 3
Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins — 3
Kris Bubic, KC Royals — 3

All of these names have been floating around the rumor mill, to one degree or another, throughout the offseason.

Abrams, a 2024 All-Star shortstop, is being held up by the Nats as a trade option as they enter yet another rebuild. Even though he was brought in in the big Juan Soto trade in their last attempt at a rebuild in 2022.

Alcantara, a former Cy Young winner, had mixed results in his return season last year from Tommy John surgery, so the offers probably weren't there for the Fish to want to move him. But maybe that's changed now as he enters his second season back on the mound.

The Astros have been seriously dangling Paredes on the market, as they look to relieve their logjam in the infield after they reacquired Carlos Correa last season and plunked him at third base, which was Paredes' job.

Nootbar is just another of the Cardinals that are on the trade block as they continue the remake of their roster.

Seeing Skubal's name on this list is surprising, as the Tigers, by most accounts, are thought to be going all-in this season with a Skubal/Framber Valdez one-two punch, and almost a free ride to the playoffs in the weak AL Central Division. Of course, the two-time Cy Young winner Skubal will almost certainly be gone after this season, so it would behoove the Tigers to try to get a huge return for him while they can, instead of losing him in free agency for nothing.