The top projected players to change teams this offseason

2:42 AM UTC

The offseason isn’t quite over yet, but most of the top free agents are off the board, and many of the most notable trade candidates have been moved. So, with Spring Training camps opening in the coming days, this is a good time to take stock of the most impactful players who will be wearing a different uniform to start 2026 than they did to end '25.

These rankings are based solely on expected 2026 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), per FanGraphs’ Steamer projections, as of Feb. 7. Anyone with at least a 2-WAR projection is included on the list.

Note: This doesn't count players who re-signed with the same team, such as with the Phillies, with the Yankees, with the Mariners or with the Padres. Nor does it count players who did not appear in the Majors in 2025, namely players arriving from foreign leagues, such as with the White Sox or with the Blue Jays.

It’s also worth noting that, because relievers tend not to stack up well on a WAR basis, none make this list, even though many notable bullpen arms have changed teams, including (Mets to Dodgers), (Padres to Braves), (Yankees to Mets), (Angels to Tigers), (Mets to Blue Jays), (Phillies to Royals), (Yankees to Mets), (Cubs to Phillies) and (Mets to Orioles).

1-T. OF (Cubs to Dodgers)
Projected WAR: 3.9

Winning back-to-back titles clearly hasn’t diminished the Dodgers’ desire to keep pushing the bar higher, as evidenced by the addition of Tucker -- one of just six players to produce at least 4 fWAR in each of the past five seasons, alongside Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, José Ramírez, Logan Webb and Zack Wheeler. Widely viewed as the top free agent on the board at the outset of the offseason, Tucker lingered on the market into the third week of January, creating an opportunity for Los Angeles to strike. The Dodgers did just that, landing the 29-year-old on a short-term, high-AAV deal worth $240 million over four years. While Steamer’s playing-time projection for Tucker is muted by his recent injury history, he sits atop this leaderboard nonetheless. He's projected for 27 homers and 18 steals, as well as the eighth-highest wRC+ (140) of any hitter.

1-T. 3B (Blue Jays to Mets)
Projected WAR: 3.9

The Mets were in on Tucker, too, but after falling short in their pursuit of the outfielder, they quickly made a surprising pivot toward Bichette. Given how everything played out, it’s perhaps fitting that the two have the same exact WAR projection. Bichette’s projection is nearly identical to the 3.8 WAR he produced for the Blue Jays in 2025 -- a strong rebound after he had 0.3 WAR in ’24. Only six players have a higher projected batting average than Bichette (.288), who is a lifetime .292 hitter. The longtime shortstop also has a positive defensive projection even though he’s moving to a position he hasn’t played since high school, stepping into the third-base role for the Mets.

1-T. SP (Padres to Blue Jays)
Projected WAR: 3.9

After five consecutive 200-strikeout seasons, Cease is projected to have 217 K’s in his first season with the Blue Jays. That would rank third in the American League, behind only Tarik Skubal (243) and Garrett Crochet (238). His 3.58 projected ERA is also much more in line with his 2025 xERA (3.46) than his inflated 4.55 ERA. Cease was the centerpiece of a busy offseason of additions for the Blue Jays, who also added pitchers Ponce and Rogers and third baseman Kazuma Okamoto in free agency.

4-T. 3B (Red Sox to Cubs)
Projected WAR: 3.8

The Cubs tried to land Bregman last offseason but saw the veteran third baseman sign with the Red Sox. They got another chance when he opted out at the end of 2025 -- and this time, they sealed the deal (five years, $175 million). Bregman could be a huge upgrade for a Chicago team that ranked 27th in third-base WAR (0.4) a year ago, with rookie Matt Shaw drawing the bulk of the playing time at the position. If not for a right quad injury that kept him out more than six weeks, Bregman likely would have surpassed the 20-homer and 4-WAR thresholds for the fourth straight season in 2025. He’s the top projected player on the Cubs’ roster with 3.8 WAR, and Steamer sees him producing a .260 average with 23 homers and a 121 wRC+ in his first year on the North Side of Chicago.

4-T. SP (Cardinals to Red Sox)
Projected WAR: 3.8

Perhaps it’s surprising to see a 36-year-old pitcher who posted a 4.28 ERA in 2025 so high on this list. But more advanced metrics, such as FIP and expected ERA, were higher on Gray’s 2025 performance. The right-hander still misses bats, racks up strikeouts and limits walks, and he was a much-needed trade acquisition for a Boston club that found itself short on starters it could trust behind Crochet in the playoffs last fall. Steamer sees Gray providing the Red Sox with a 3.70 ERA and 189 strikeouts in 181 1/3 innings pitched in 2026.

6. SP (Astros to Tigers)
Projected WAR: 3.7

After a protracted stay on the free-agent market, Valdez came off the board earlier this week when he reached a three-year, $115 million deal with the Tigers. The contract gives Valdez the highest average annual value ($38.33 million) for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history and pairs him with Skubal at the top of Detroit’s rotation. Valdez averaged roughly 4.1 WAR and 192 innings per season with the Astros from 2022-25 while posting a 3.21 ERA in that span. Steamer expects a similar output from the durable ground-ball specialist during his first season with the Tigers, projecting him for a 3.44 ERA with 3.7 WAR over 190 1/3 innings.

7. SP (Phillies to Red Sox)
Projected WAR: 3.2

After losing Bregman to the Cubs, the Red Sox took some of the money they would have spent on the third baseman and directed it toward their pitching staff instead, signing Suárez to a five-year, $130 million deal. The lefty became Boston’s third rotation addition of the offseason, following the team’s trades for Gray and Johan Oviedo. The Red Sox now have Steamer’s No. 3 (Crochet), No. 10 (Gray) and No. 20 (Suárez) pitchers, in terms of projected WAR, with Suárez projected to post a 3.75 ERA over 171 2/3 innings.

8-T. 3B/2B (Cardinals to Mariners)
Projected WAR: 3.1

The Mariners moved quickly to re-sign first baseman Josh Naylor in November, but the departures of Jorge Polanco (Mets) and Eugenio Suárez (Reds) left Seattle’s infield in need of additional reinforcement. Enter Donovan, who was acquired from the Cardinals in a three-team trade that also included the Rays. The 2025 All-Star has the third-highest projected WAR among Mariners position players behind Cal Raleigh (5.9) and Julio Rodríguez (5.6), to go with a projected slash of .273/.348/.407.

8-T. 2B (Rangers to Mets)
Projected WAR: 3.1

Semien has amassed at least 2.0 fWAR in each of the past seven full seasons, thanks in large part to his defense. His bat is expected to rebound after a .669 OPS in 2025 -- Steamer projects Semien for a .241/.314/.400 slash line -- but his glove will remain central to his value. Semien is also projected for 22 home runs, which would be a welcome return to form after he hit just 15 last season.

10-T. SP (Brewers to Mets)
Projected WAR: 2.7

After watching their rotation fall apart last season amid a second-half collapse that caused them to miss the playoffs, the Mets entered the offseason with a clear need for a high-end starter. They finally accomplished that goal on Jan. 21, trading prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to the Brewers for Peralta and Tobias Myers. Peralta's WAR projection is closer to what he did in 2024 (2.3) than ’25 (3.6), while his ERA is projected to rise from 2.70 last year to 3.80 in '26. But he’s still the Mets’ top projected arm by a comfortable margin.

10-T. SP (Nationals to Rangers)
Projected WAR: 2.7

Rangers starting pitchers had MLB’s best ERA in 2025 (3.41), but the team had multiple rotation spots to fill after Merrill Kelly, Tyler Mahle and Patrick Corbin all reached free agency. With that in mind, Texas sent five prospects to the Nationals for Gore on Jan. 22. That may seem like a steep price for a pitcher with a lifetime 4.19 ERA, but the Rangers are banking on Gore’s upside. Steamer sees Gore supplying Texas with a 3.82 ERA -- which would be a career best -- and 182 K's over 161 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old is third in projected WAR among Rangers pitchers behind Jacob deGrom (4.0) and Nathan Eovaldi (3.4).

10-T. 1B (Mets to Orioles)
Projected WAR: 2.7

Alonso has hit at least 34 home runs in each of the past five seasons, and Steamer projects him to keep up his power-hitting with 35 dingers in 2026 -- third most in the AL behind Aaron Judge (43) and Cal Raleigh (38). Alonso has the highest projected slugging percentage of any Orioles batter at .494, just beating out Gunnar Henderson’s .489 mark, and he’s projected to drive in 101 runs from the heart of Baltimore’s talented lineup.

13. OF (Mets to Rangers)
Projected WAR: 2.6

Nimmo averaged 3.7 fWAR per season from 2021-25, cementing himself as a highly productive player thanks in large part to his ability to get on base. In his first year with the Rangers after being traded for Semien, he is projected for a .256/.337/.429 slash line. Nimmo’s 2.6 WAR projection is the third highest among Rangers position players, trailing only Corey Seager (3.9) and Wyatt Langford (3.5).

14. SP (Rangers to D-backs)
Projected WAR: 2.5

Kelly returned to Arizona on a two-year, $40 million contract after a 2025 Trade Deadline deal sent him to Texas. With Zac Gallen still a free agent, Kelly is the D-backs’ top projected pitcher in 2026, well ahead of Brandon Pfaadt (1.9 projected WAR). Steamer projects Kelly to pitch a team-high 185 innings with a 4.12 ERA, which would be his highest ERA since 2021 (4.44).

15-T. (Padres to Giants)
Projected WAR: 2.3

A three-time batting champion, Arraez presented an intriguing question when he hit the free-agent market: how do you value a player who offers exceptional bat-to-ball skills but little else? Given their need at second base, the Giants were willing to look past his limitations to bring him in on a low-risk deal (one year, $12 million). Even with his poor defense, lack of power and slow foot speed, Arraez is a clear upgrade for San Francisco at the keystone. The 28-year-old carries MLB’s highest projected batting average (.305) and is expected to produce more WAR in 2026 than he did over the past two seasons combined (2.0).

15-T. SP (Orioles to Angels)
Projected WAR: 2.3

Rodriguez hasn’t pitched since July 31, 2024, dealing with a series of injuries that eventually led to right elbow surgery last year. Steamer projects him to throw just 129 innings for his new club -- which would be a career high for the right-hander -- but Rodriguez’s projected 3.81 ERA would be the second best among Angels starting pitchers, behind only José Soriano (3.67).

17. OF (Angels to Orioles)
Projected WAR: 2.1

Right below Rodriguez on this list is the man he was traded for. Ward set new career highs in 2025 with 36 home runs and 103 RBIs, but Steamer expects his numbers to come back down (to 24 homers and 75 RBIs) in 2026. He's projected for a .244/.328/.437 batting line and the fifth-highest wRC+ (115) on the Orioles. Between Ward and Alonso, Baltimore has added considerable right-handed power ahead of 2026.

Honorable mentions: SP (Rays to Orioles, 1.9 WAR), 3B (Cardinals to D-backs, 1.9 WAR), SP (Marlins to Cubs, 1.9 WAR), (Rays to Pirates, 1.8 WAR), 1B/DH (Mariners to Mets, 1.8 WAR), 2B (Mets to A’s, 1.8 WAR), SP (Red Sox to Rays, 1.7 WAR), OF (White Sox to Mets, 1.6 WAR), SP (Pirates to Astros, 1.6 WAR), SP (Red Sox to Cardinals, 1.5 WAR), SP (Cubs to D-backs, 1.5 WAR), 1B (Cardinals to Red Sox, 1.4 WAR), SP (Rangers to Giants, 1.4 WAR), SP (Marlins to Yankees, 1.4 WAR)