Sometimes, players just aren’t in the right situation to thrive. For example, it took failed stints with the Phillies and the Angels for Mickey Moniak to show the world why he was a No. 1 overall draft pick with the Colorado Rockies. Kevin Gausman was never anything more than a No. 5 starter at best before breaking out with the Giants, his fourth big-league team, and really thriving with the Toronto Blue Jays.
These MLB players below have shown upside over the course of their careers, but could benefit from a change of scenery for certain reasons. They might be traded as soon as this year’s deadline.
OF Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
Easily the most accomplished and most valuable player on this list is Jarren Duran, who, just two years ago, looked like a budding superstar. In 2024, Duran led the American League in doubles and triples and finished eighth in the MVP balloting. He wasn’t quite as good in 2025, but still led the AL in triples and had a 116 OPS+. This season, though, has been an even bigger step down.
Duran is slashing .210/.269/.388 with 12 home runs and 37 RBI. He’s been one of the Boston Red Sox’s best power hitters this season and has stolen 11 bases, but he has an 84 OPS+. He’s struggled even more against lefties, as his .611 OPS would indicate.
It doesn’t always make sense to trade a player at his lowest value, especially when he has multiple years of control left, as Duran does, but the Boston Red Sox have reason to consider such a deal. Duran is clearly trending in the wrong direction, and the longer they wait, the more value they’ll miss out on trading. Plus, with Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu patrolling their outfield when healthy, Duran is extremely expendable. If the Red Sox can move him for an infielder or even a pitcher, they should strongly consider it.
RHP Bryan Abreu, Houston Astros
Bryan Abreu had been arguably the best set-up man in the American League ever since he became a regular member of the Houston Astros‘ bullpen in 2022 through the 2025 season. He made at least 55 appearances in each season during that span, pitching to a 2.30 ERA with a 34.3 strikeout rate. This season, though, Abreu has been nothing more than a liability for Houston.
The right-hander has a 6.66 ERA in 28 appearances and 24.1 innings of work. He has allowed six home runs already after allowing just four in 71 innings in 2025, and he has walked nearly as many batters (24) as he has innings pitched this season. He’s gone from the closer at the beginning of the year to a guy pitching almost exclusively in low-leverage situations, and for good reason.
This screams like an ideal change of scenery candidate. Abreu still has elite stuff, as his strong 28.2 percent strikeout rate would indicate, but his lack of command has betrayed him, as has been the case for many of his Astros teammates. A fresh start with a new team could help him revert to form before he reaches free agency this winter.
1B Spencer Torkelson, Detroit Tigers
Spencer Torkelson has always had a ton of pressure to perform in Detroit because he was taken with the No. 1 overall pick by the Detroit Tigers back in 2020. He’s shown glimpses of greatness, launching 31 home runs in 2023 and 2025, but for the most part, he’s been a disappointment. Anyone who hoped his 31-home run campaign in 2025 would lead to a special season in 2026 is disappointed.
Torkelson is slashing .202/.301/.403 in 74 games and has struck out 95 times already. If it weren’t for a five-game home run streak in late April, his numbers would be among the worst in the sport. A lot has gone wrong for the last-place Tigers, but I don’t know if there’s a player the fan base is more frustrated with than Torkelson.
At this point, it feels like both sides need a fresh start. Torkelson could use an opportunity to play for a team that did not use a prime asset to acquire him as the Tigers did, and the Tigers need to change things up, as the roster they’ve built just isn’t working.
1B/DH Mark Vientos, New York Mets
Mark Vientos looked like a budding star for the New York Mets in 2024, breaking out with 27 home runs in the regular season and a couple of huge ones in the postseason. He had a rough go of it in 2025, though, and this season has been even worse.
Vientos has slashed .217/.251/.377 with eight home runs and 31 RBI in 62 games this season, and his -0.9 fWAR is the second-worst mark in the National League. In addition to his frustrating streakiness at the plate, Vientos offers no value on the base paths or in the field. Essentially, when he isn’t hitting, as has been the case the past two seasons, he’s tough to play.
Now, despite their continued offensive struggles, Vientos only starts for the Mets against left-handed pitching, and who knows how long that’ll even continue? Perhaps he can find his 2024 swing, but it’s hard to envision him getting the playing time necessary in New York to find that out. The Mets could use a more consistent right-handed power bat, while Vientos would benefit from regular playing time elsewhere.
INF/OF Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs
While everyone on this list is having down years, the same can’t be said about Matt Shaw. In fact, after hitting a three-run homer on Saturday, Shaw has a .745 OPS, a mark over 50 points higher than his .690 OPS in his rookie season of 2025. He’s been even better as a starter, as Shaw has gone just 6-for-24 with one extra-base hit as a substitute.
Unfortunately, Shaw just doesn’t get enough chances to start for the Chicago Cubs. He’s been getting consistent starts for about a week now with Seiya Suzuki restricted to DH duties while playing through an injury and Moises Ballesteros getting sent down to Triple-A, but Ballesteros likely won’t be in the minors for too long, and Suzuki will be healthy eventually. Shaw was expected to be in a utility role, and that’s likely where he’ll be sooner rather than later.
That’s a shame, because it feels like Shaw is ready to break out. He’s been an above-average hitter this season, and he had a .839 OPS in last year’s second half. At just 24 years old, he should be playing regularly, but with Alex Bregman not going anywhere at third base and the Cubs having a stout outfield when it’s healthy, the opportunity isn’t there. A trade including Shaw for a starting pitcher would not only benefit the Cubs, who need a frontline arm, but it’d give Shaw his chance to prove he’s an everyday player.
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