Bold predictions: Shohei Ohtani, other MLB stars who could be traded

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The 2023 MLB trade deadline is months away, already, we know some of the players who could be available for trades this season.

That partially comes from the contracts that each player has (since hundreds of players will be free agents in the offseason) but also, from preseason projections for each team. Some teams will surprise people but some are in an obvious rebuilding mode.

From that, we can devise a list of some big-name players that could be on the move this season. Here are five MLB stars that could be on the move this season.

5 MLB stars who could be traded this season

MLB trade candidate: Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ

The Cubs have made some moves to try to get themselves closer to contention this season. However, at least on paper, they still look to be well behind the Cardinals and Brewers, who arguably have the best offense and best starting rotation in the National League. If the Cubs are out of contention in by July, look for them to trade outfielder Ian Happ.

Last season, Happ was an All-Star and won a Gold Glove award. Offensively, he hit .271/.342/.440 with 17 home runs, 72 RBI, 42 doubles, an OPS+ of 119, and an rWAR of 4.4.

From a Cubs perspective, they may look to trade him because he is a free agent at the end of the season. For another team, they would be getting an All-Star both offensively and defensively. Additionally, he can play other positions if needed. In addition to left field, Happ can play center field (as he did for a few games in 2022) but he also play right field, second base, and third base in 2021. In other words, an acquiring team could use him for some defensive versatility.

Jul 5, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Gleyber Torres (25) in the batting cage before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

MLB trade candidate: New York Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres

Of the five players on our list, Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres is the only one that figures to be on a playoff contending team … but he still could easily be traded.

For the Yankees, they have plenty of options in the middle infield. They have DJ LeMahieu (for second base), Oswald Peraza (for either position), Isaiah Kiner-Falefa (for shortstop), top prospect Anthony Volpe (for either), and Oswaldo Cabrera (for either). The Yankees are hoping that Peraza, Volpe, and Cabrera in particular since they are prospects and/or with only a little bit of service time in the majors.

Torres is not a free agent until after the 2024 season but, even if the Yankees are in contention, they could look to trade him if the other are healthy and play well. They could replenish their farm system and even address some weaknesses on the MLB team.

Currently, the Yankees starting rotation looks good on paper, but Carlos Rodon and Frankie Montas are starting the season on the IL. Nestor Cortes Jr. has already been injured this spring and Domingo German and Luis Severino both have extensive injury histories so that could be an area where they look to make an upgrade on the MLB roster.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 17: Bryan Reynolds #10 of the Pittsburgh Pirates at bat during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 17, 2022 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) /

MLB trade candidate: Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds

Of the players on our list, Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds is the only one who has officially requested a trade. He requested a trade in December after he and the Pirates were not close on terms of an extension (Reynolds asked for eight years and $134 million and the Pirates countered at six years and $80 million).

In 2021, Reynolds had 27 home runs and 62 RBI with a .262/.345/.461 slash line. He also had a 126 OPS+ and a 2.9 rWAR. In 2021, though, he was an All-Star and came in 11th in NL MVP voting after hitting .302/.390/.522 with 24 home runs, 90 RBI, 35 doubles, and an MLB-leading eight triples. He had an OPS+ of 145 and an rWAR of 6.0.

Of these five players we have listed, he has the most team control as he is a free agent after the end of the 2025 season.

The Pirates still could come to an extension agreement with Reynolds but if they are unwilling to up their offer, he could be traded this season for the Pirates to maximize their prospect return for him.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 04: Starting pitcher Lucas Giolito #27 of the Chicago White Sox delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field on October 04, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

MLB trade candidate: Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito

Like the White Sox in general last season, Lucas Giolito had a bit of a down year. Now, with the Guardians and Twins likely being at the top of the AL Central and the White Sox doing nothing other than sign outfielder Andrew Benintendi this offseason, they could be in a very similar spot to where they were in 2022.

In 2022, Giolito struggled as he had an ERA close to 5.00. In 30 starts, he had a 4.90 ERA, an 81 ERA+, a 4.06 FIP, 1.435 WHIP, and an average of 3.4 walks and 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings. However, in the previous three seasons, Giolito received AL Cy Young award votes, finishing as high as sixth in 2019. In those three seasons, he averaged a 1.076 WHIP, 2.9 walks, and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings along with a 3.47 ERA and a 129 ERA+.

Giolito is a free agent at the end of the season so if the White Sox aren’t in contention and if they don’t think he could be extended, there will be plenty of teams interested in him, especially if he pitches like he did from 2019 through 2021.

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 05: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels pitches against the Oakland Athletics in the bottom of the first inning at RingCentral Coliseum on October 05, 2022 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

MLB trade candidate: Los Angeles Angels DH/SP Shohei Ohtani

There’s no denying that, right now, Shohei Ohtani is the best baseball player on the planet. That’s why the Angels will have a huge decision to make here soon.

Ohtani, who turns 29 in July, is a free agent at the end of the season and the Angels aren’t anywhere near contention. Angels owner Arte Moreno wants to sell the team but decided to re-list the team next offseason. There were rumors that Ohtani could be traded last offseason but Moreno said that he would not allow for him to be traded.

Now, the Angels have to decide whether or not they want to try to extend him long-term, keep him for the season and get the compensatory draft picks for him via free agency, or trade him.

From a selling perspective for Moreno, he could decide to do what Jeffrey Loria did with the Marlins and Giancarlo Stanton. He signed Stanton to the largest ever free agent deal at that point (13 years and $325 million) … and then he sold the team, leaving his contract to new ownership, who traded him to the Yankees.

Since Ohtani is both one of the best pitchers in baseball (fourth in AL Cy Young voting last year) and one of the best hitters in baseball (he’s averaged 40 homers and 98 RBI in each of the last two seasons), Moreno could sign him to a deal worth half a billion dollars … or more.

If he trades him, he still could very easily get a huge trade return, despite the acquiring team only getting him for two or three months.

The process of what the Angels decide to do with Shohei Ohtani very well could be the biggest storyline of the first few months of the season.

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