It’s that time of the year again, and anxious MLB The Show 26 players are starting to plan out their entire Franchise Mode playthrough. San Diego Studio has announced a slew of changes to Franchise, but one element of the mode that will always stay the same is trading for players as the GM of your own organization. More often than not, there are players out in the league that you want on your roster, and the easiest way to go about inserting them into your lineup is to initiate a trade.
While you might already have some trade targets picked out for MLB The Show 26, why not add a few more potential names to your list? Today, we’ll be identifying five players that you should trade for in Franchise Mode.
We’ve picked these players largely based on their future potential, so don’t expect to see major stars that will cost a Brinks truck to acquire. Instead, our trade targets are meant to blossom in your organization after trading for them in MLB The Show 26.
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Best Trade Targets In MLB The Show 26 Franchise
5. Harry Ford (C, Washington Nationals)
Catcher is always a difficult position to fill in Franchise Mode, especially if you’re starting with a subpar team that has other, more pressing roster holes to address. More often than not, you’ll sign a veteran catcher for cheap, promote one of your own prospects, or try to trade for a catcher when starting in Franchise.
If you want to go with the latter route, then we suggest targeting Harry Ford of the Washington Nationals. Ford has been a top catching prospect for years, dating back to his time with the Seattle Mariners, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2021. Now with the Nationals, Ford is a top-50 prospect in the MLB and shouldn’t be overly difficult to acquire, especially with the new trade logic in MLB The Show 26.
In MLB The Show 25, trading for Ford was always a great decision in Franchise, as the catcher was ready for action in 2026-27 and became an immediate top player at his position. The same should be true in MLB The Show 26, so try to scoop him up for a haul of mid-level players/prospects, and you won’t have to worry about your catcher position for years to come.
4. Zach Neto (SS, Los Angeles Angels)
For the past couple of years in the MLB, Zach Neto has been dangled as a trade target for real-life teams. Still quite young at just 25 years old, Neto has emerged as one of the best shortstops in the American League. Of course, he plays for the Angels, and they’re always looking to wheel and deal for some bad trades.
Over the past couple of MLB The Show games, trading for Neto has become a staple for many players in Franchise. Neto consistently turns into an MVP candidate with outstanding numbers at the plate and great metrics in the field. In MLB The Show 26, you should be able to acquire Neto for fairly cheap, as he’s only on a one-year contract worth just over $4 million.
While you’ll need to sign him to a new deal if you trade for him before 2027, Neto will be more than worth his contract. He can be one of the premier players in the entire MLB if you can save him from being an Angel.
3. Coby Mayo (1B/3B, Baltimore Orioles)
The Baltimore Orioles have become a very productive farm system, and Coby Mayo is the latest in a long line of top prospects for the organization. However, with so many other prospects and young players around him, Baltimore is often willing to let Mayo go for the right price, and that trend should continue in MLB The Show 26.
If you can manage to snag Mayo before the Orioles promote him to the majors, then he shouldn’t cost much at all. He has the ability to play both first and third base and features tremendous power at the plate. We traded for him in an MLB The Show 25 Franchise playthrough, and within two years, he was in the Home Run Derby, shelled over 40 homers, and played decent defense at third.
The biggest thing about trading for Mayo is the timing of your trade, as Baltimore could start with him in the minors or majors in 2026. You’ll want to trade for him before he starts to make too much noise in the majors, as that will only cause his value to increase, making a trade more difficult.
2. Marcelo Mayer (2B/3B, Boston Red Sox)
Speaking of top-level farm systems, the Boston Red Sox have some of the most exciting prospects in the entire league. For years, though, their top prospect was Marcelo Mayer, a five-tool infielder who made his MLB debut in 2025. While the Red Sox will value Mayer more than other trade targets on this list, he’s a worthwhile investment.
Mayer projects to be an All-Star at either second or third base, as he showed great contact and power during his stint with Boston last season. However, the Red Sox have an overwhelming number of infield prospects and veterans in their organization, making Mayer a prime trade target.
It might take a little more to pry Mayer away from his current team, but you’ll end up with a pro-ready infielder who can slide into the upper-half of most lineups. In a couple of years in your organization, Mayer should be a perennial All-Star.
1. James Wood (OF, Washington Nationals)
We’re concluding our list with another Washington National, but this time we’re going after the big fish: James Wood. James Wood is one of the brightest young stars in the MLB, as he made the All-Star team in 2025 and projects to do the same in 2026.
However, the Nationals did have some trade discussions surrounding Wood at the 2025 trade deadline, and many players in MLB The Show 25 Franchise managed to swing a trade for the outfielder. Plenty of reports stated that Wood became an absolute monster in 2026 and beyond, turning into one of the best players in the league.
Now that Wood has an All-Star appearance under his belt and still has four years of team control left on his contract, his asking price will be enormous. If you’re willing to go that far for a potential superstar in the outfield, though, Wood is arguably the top trade target that should be on your radar.
And that does it for our list of the best trade targets in MLB The Show 26 Franchise. Who will you be going after in your Franchise playthrough?
Published: Mar 3, 2026 12:30 pm