StonesJournal

Some teams are navigating this offseason like prime Lewis & Clark. Other organizations are struggling to push the first domino. Here are five trades that need to happen before MLB’s 2026 opening day.

The MLB offseason looks to be off to the races with the signings of Bo Bichette (New York Mets) and Kyle Tucker (Los Angeles Dodgers). There are still plenty of players who are stuck in baseball purgatory. Here are five names that I expect to be making their way to a new city before opening day.

Player 1: Triston Casas BOS (1B)

The Red Sox really shook up the current look of their roster by adding veteran catcher-turned-first baseman Willson Contreras via trade from St. Louis. So what are their plans with Casas?

Masataka Yoshida will command time at DH, and his contract is going to be much harder to move on from than the young Casas, who is still in the midst of his arbitration years. The towering left-handed first baseman has seen success at the plate in his limited career, but continues to struggle with injuries.

Boston needs to cut bait before Casas loses the former top-prospect price tag in trade talks. The Rockies would be a great fit for Casas to get playing time. His big bat at Coors Field could build up immense value for him to either be flipped by Colorado for a major return or for Casas to earn an extension.

Colorado would offer solid pitching pieces in return, so the Red Sox have organizational depth in the bullpen and rotation.

Mock Trade:

Colorado Rockies Receive: Triston Casas (1B), Jovani Moran (RP)

Boston Red Sox Receive: Jimmy Herget (RP), Carmson Palmquist (COL #13, LHP)

Player 2: Jordan Lawler ARI (3B)

The Arizona Diamondbacks made one of the more surprising moves of the offseason when they decided to be the St. Louis Cardinals’ partner in a Nolan Arenado salary dump. Now that the desert employs the perennial gold glove candidate, there is no room for former top prospect Jordan Lawler.

Every year since Lawler found his way onto the Major League roster, there seems to be a blockage keeping him from commanding real playing time. Lawler has only accumulated 97 plate appearances in The Show to this point in his career. Mike Trout has been a below-average hitter for 97 plate appearances. Lawler needs a real chance to show off why he was so highly sought after as one of the game’s premier prospects.

The Diamondbacks seem to be unwilling to commit to any kind of uncertainty in his case, and both sides deserve better at this point. A great fit for the young stalling third baseman would be the Steel City. Pittsburgh has had one of its more exciting offseasons in recent memory and has a glaring hole at the hot corner, with Jared Triolo projected to command playing time.

Triolo is a gold glove caliber fielder, but has yet to make any adjustments at the dish through 900 career at-bats. If Lawler continues to disappoint as a Pirate, they could move on with the original plan of Triolo, as the youngster is still making league minimum.

Mock Trade:

Pittsburgh Pirates Receive: Jordan Lawler (3B)

Arizona Diamondbacks Receive: Nick Yorke (UTL)

Player 3: Brady Singer CIN (SP)

After a very mediocre 2025 season and the ascension of top Cincinnati prospect Rhett Lowder, Brady Singer has found himself in the middle of all kinds of trade talk.

It makes business sense. Singer is still an asset on any team, but the money he commands makes him less valuable than a player on a rookie contract who can emit similar output like Lowder.

Singer’s 2025 was nothing to scoff at as he was a 3-win player with a respectable 4.03 ERA while calling one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball his home. Cincinnati should move Singer to free up some money to make additions to other parts of the roster that are more pressing.

Singer would make a great four or five-starter on a team looking to compete. He is reliable and eats innings while maintaining quality output. The Phillies are in desperate need of some stability in their rotation. The current projected four and five in Philly are Taijuan Walker and rookie Andrew Painter.

The rookie has elite stuff, but as baseball knows all too well, rookies, especially pitchers, are prone to growing pains, and Philadelphia is in win-now mode. Walker has seen far more success as the long man out of the Phillies’ bullpen and could factor in as rotation depth in case of injury.

Singer would add experience and consistency to a rotation that finds itself searching after the departure of former gunslinger Ranger Suarez.

Mock Trade:

Philadelphia Phillies Receive: Brady Singer (SP)

Cincinnati Reds Receive: Carson DeMartini (PHI #13, 3B)

Player 4: Brendan Donovan STL (UTL)

Cardinals fans! This must be new! St. Louis is tearing it down for what feels like the first time (it’s not). The Redbirds have already moved on from All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras, All-Star starting pitcher Sonny Gray, and future Hall-of-Fame third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Who’s next, you might ask? Well, it should be 2025 All-Star Brendan Donovan.

‘Donnie’ has earned himself the pedigree of one of baseball’s best utility players. He has seen time at third base, first base, left field, right field, shortstop, and his main position of second base. The Gold Glover has been a productive player every season in his career, and many teams have come calling.

Donovan still has two years on team control left, and his value is at an all-time high. Why hold onto the shifty infielder and risk injury or regression when he’s already commanding well-endowed value? A great fit for Donovan, who has been rumored to be in the works, is the Seattle Mariners.

The M’s lost a key piece in Jorge Polanco when he departed for Queens, and are projected to start top prospect Cole Young at second base. Young is no pushover, but for a team like Seattle looking to win its division and make a deep postseason run, there’s no time for growing pains and development in real time.

Mock Trade:

Seattle Mariners Receive: Brendan Donovan (UTL)

St. Louis Cardinals Receive: Leo Rivas (INF), Jurrangelo Cijntje (SEA #7, SP)

Player 5: Pablo Lopez MIN (SP)

There is no logical reason for Pablo Lopez to be a Twin come opening day. The veteran starter has shown inconsistency in the past with down years, and is coming off a tremendous season, regardless of volume.

Lopez, 29, registered only 75.2 innings in 2025 due to injury, but still managed a dazzling 2.74 ERA. Minnesota made it clear that 2026 is not a year where they are looking to compete by trading away an entire bullpen and more at the 2025 MLB trade deadline.

Due to Lopez’s age and the money he commands, he’s not a part of the Twins’ future. As a pure business decision, Lopez should be moved before he can tank his value. A contending team would be all smiles to throw the veteran into their own mix of starters for 2026. The Braves would make all the sense in the world to bring on a veteran starter like Lopez.

Atlanta’s rotation is headlined by a 36-year-old Chris Sale and also bets on injury-riddled Spencer’s like Strider and Schwellenbach. To round things out, young Hurston Waldrep, who dominated in his big-league cup of coffee, is slotted at the five.

The Braves might benefit from a six-man rotation, and Lopez would be a perfect addition to that melting pot of high-upside hurlers. Minnesota might have to eat some cash to get anything worthwhile in return.

Mock Trade:

Atlanta Braves Receive: Pablo Lopez (SP), $15 million

Minnesota Twins Receive: Didier Fuentes (ATL #7, SP)

Conclusion:

There is a pandemic of MLB front offices holding onto young talent until it spoils like milk. These players deserve a chance in different threads where they can prove the doubt came from a lack of opportunity rather than immaturity in execution.