Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer: Some of MLB's best players are available to deal for (and deal away)
We are going big-game hunting this week, as some of baseball’s best players may be available. Keep in mind that they are not going to come cheap. But when players this talented are playing their best, they aren’t available at all. And since you have to give something to get something, I’ve included a couple of players who can have their services shopped in major trades.
Buy Low
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals: For the second straight season, Witt has been excellent but slightly underwhelming. The difference this year, in comparison to 2025, is that he has underperformed his expected stats. Witt has made small improvements since last season in average exit velocity, barrel rate, walk rate and strikeout rate. He hasn’t been rewarded, though, as his .317 BABIP is a three-year low.
The Royals offense has been sluggish overall, and both the team and Witt will likely be more productive this summer.
Juan Soto, OF, Mets: Perhaps no player has been let down by his teammates as much as Soto. The 27-year-old continues to play as well as virtually any player, as his key skills and expected stats are similar to his career marks. But he remains the 75th overall player in Yahoo leagues for two reasons.
First, Soto endured a two-week absence in April due to a calf strain. Second, despite his efforts, the Mets rank 24th in runs scored. New York’s lineup is too talented to stay down all season and has already started to turn things around. The guess here is that the likes of Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette offer Soto better support during the summer.
Bryce Harper, 1B, Phillies: Although not a first-round pick like the two players who preceded him in this article, Harper is still very valuable and much better than the player who has been the ninth-ranked first baseman so far. The veteran has earned a .290 xBA that is 28 points higher than his actual marks and a .566 xSLG that dwarfs his .519 SLG. Like Soto, Harper has also been held back by his teammates, as the Phillies surprisingly rank 27th in runs scored despite having plenty of talent. Better times are likely ahead for one of baseball’s most consistent stars.
Drake Baldwin, C, Braves: This is a great time to acquire Baldwin, especially in head-to-head leagues. The 25-year-old was making a case to be fantasy baseball’s best catcher when he landed on the IL on May 19 with an oblique strain. He will miss most of June, which is a situation that can be managed in one-catcher leagues with a deep group of waiver wire options. Managers with a mid-level catcher would be wise to pair that player with another asset in order to acquire Baldwin at a discount while he remains on the IL. By the end of June, their lineup will include another superstar who could guide them to victory when the playoffs roll around.
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Max Fried, SP, Yankees: Fried is in a comparable situation to Baldwin, where a stint on the IL may open a buying window. The left-hander is in better shape than Atlanta’s catcher, as Fried should be back by the middle of the month. And although his 3.21 ERA is a solid mark, Fried’s 2.50 xERA shows that he has deserved an even better fate. Add in the support of one of baseball’s best lineups and last year’s 19-game winner could be a top-five starter during the summer.
Louis Varland, RP, Blue Jays: Although Varland lacks the fantasy stature and long-term résumé of the players listed ahead of him in this article, he should be highlighted as a timely trade option. The right-hander has pitched as well as any reliever aside from Mason Miller, producing a 0.29 ERA, 1.25 FIP and 1.03 WHIP.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider was mixing ninth-inning duties between Varland and Jeff Hoffman but has surely moved on from that plan since Hoffman blew a 5-1 lead in Baltimore on May 30. Varland could be a top-five closer the rest of the way.
Sell High
Yordan Alvarez, OF, Astros: Managers with Alvarez on their team can likely get a king’s ransom for him. After all, the slugger leads baseball with a 1.064 OPS and has been the sixth most valuable fantasy asset. But his hot start in March/April is hiding a mediocre May, in which Alvarez hit .235 with 12 RBI. His inability to steal bases caps his overall value. Managers could try to trade Alvarez for a superstar who has not matched his stats thus far, such as the players who populate the top of this article.
Sell Low
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays: Having gone deep just three times, Guerrero is on pace for a single-digit homer total. To be clear, I don’t expect his power outage to continue to this degree all season. But Guerrero’s power skills have long been overstated, as we are now on a fifth straight season where he won’t come close to repeating his 48-homer campaign from 2021.
The 27-year-old is a good fantasy asset who can hit .290 with 25-homer power, but he’s not better than that. Given his recognizable name value and October success from a year ago, Guerrero can still fetch a significant trade return in most leagues.
