Franchise Mode in MLB The Show 25 allows you to assume the role of decision-maker for a Major League ball club. You get to sign and release players, decide on branding, and even move locations if your heart desires. However, one of the more exciting aspects of Franchise Mode from season to season is the ability to trade for other teams’ players.
Trading for players has been a staple of Franchise since the early days of MLB The Show. Entering negotiations with another organization and trying to get them to let go of one of their most valued players is an adrenaline rush that you can’t find in too many other places throughout the game. While you can spend time sifting through every team’s roster and trying to find one or two players that are worth trading for, why not look at the guide we’ve put together below?
We’ve compiled a list of the 10 most compelling trade chips as of early April in MLB The Show 25. These players are either one of the best at their position, on a bad team, and might be looking for a way out, or have talent that hasn’t been fully tapped into yet.
Operation Sports App
Your ultimate companion for sports gaming. Access in-depth coverage, thoughtful discussion, and a community built around the games—and sports—you love.
Your ultimate sports gaming companion.
10. Yordan Alvarez (DH, Houston Astros)
First up on the list is one of the best hitters in the entirety of baseball. Yordan Alvarez has been at the heart of the Astros’ lineup for several years and has consistently mashed home runs and extra-base hits regardless of who’s on the mound. While it would take an arm and a leg to pry Alvarez from Houston’s clutches, he’s worth the asking price.
In a majority of the Franchise simulations I’ve done, the Astros see a major fall from grace compared to how successful they’ve been for the past decade (trash cans notwithstanding). With the Astros on the decline, you can usually trade for Alvarez and not give up a major haul in the process. Of course, if the Astros are still atop the AL West in your playthrough, the asking price will go up tremendously. Still, Alvarez is on a steal of a contract, and you could easily work out a new one for him upon trading for the DH.
9. Dustin May (SP, Los Angeles Dodgers)
It’s a sad time for the fans of the other 29 MLB teams when a pitcher like Dustin May doesn’t have a concrete spot in the Dodgers’ starting rotation. While May is included in the top five at the start of Franchise saves in MLB The Show 25, he’s often phased out by other talent LA brings in alongside their Japanese trio and pitchers such as Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell.
This presents the perfect opportunity to steal May from the Dodgers and add him to the top of your team’s rotation. May has always been a Franchise darling in MLB The Show, as he seems to only get better with time. In one of my Franchise playthroughs, May was a Cy Young candidate for years after the Seattle Mariners traded for him in 2026. While your results will certainly vary, May is an enticing pitcher with a ton of potential that can lead a rotation on the right team.
8. Oneil Cruz (SS, Pittsburgh Pirates)
The Pirates always seem to have some of the most enjoyable players to watch in the MLB, but they can never put a postseason-caliber team around them. Oneil Cruz has been manning the shortstop position for years in Pittsburgh, consistently throwing and hitting the ball as hard as anyone in the league. While he has experienced a couple of down years since making it to the Bigs, Cruz has the potential to be one of the best shortstops in baseball during a Franchise playthrough.
Fortunately for you, the Pirates might be the easiest team to trade with in MLB The Show 25. They can never hang on to their stud players and often trade them away for much less than you expect. Oneil Cruz can usually be traded for by floating a couple of decently ranked AAA prospects. If the Pirates happen to be good in your playthrough, you can still trade for Cruz, but it might take an MLB player or another prospect. To make matters better, Cruz is on a dirt-cheap contract that you can use to your advantage down the line.
7. Brent Rooker (DH, Athletics)
Speaking of teams that never hang on to their star players, the Athletics’ Brent Rooker is easily one of the best trade targets in MLB The Show 25. Rooker has come on to show tremendous power in the past couple of years, and while the As did just sign him to a fairly large contract, that has never stopped a trade from going through in Franchise.
Rooker is under team control for the next five years with $60 million guaranteed on his contract. The thing is, his entire contract is worth $60 million. This means Rooker isn’t nearly as difficult a trade target as someone with a much larger contract. If you offer some high-level prospects and maybe a veteran MLB player, the A’s will likely jump at the trade opportunity. While the As might be a little stingier than you’re used to in Franchise, you can still get one of the best DHs in baseball for fairly cheap.
6. Riley Greene (OF, Detroit Tigers)
Riley Greene isn’t as big of a name as others on this list, but he’s an up-and-comer in the Tigers’ outfield and seems to always hit his stride in 2025 or 2026 in Franchise Mode. Greene finished in the top three for MVP finalists in 2026-27 during two of my Franchise playthroughs, and other players have also reported he always improves as time goes on. Right now, in 2025, you can steal away Greene from Detroit for almost nothing (comparatively speaking).
While Greene’s defense is nothing to overly praise, his hitting is where he makes his money. Greene’s home run totals have consistently gone up over the past few years, and that has a high chance of continuing during the early years of a Franchise save. Greene is a young outfielder with loads of potential and someone who won’t cost too much to pry away from Detroit. The same can’t be said for the next player on the list.
5. Tarik Skubal (SP, Detroit Tigers)
If you’re in the trade market for a starting pitcher in MLB The Show 25, then there are almost no better options than Tarik Skubal. Skubal was the Cy Young winner in 2024 and looks to have a strong chance at repeating in 2025. However, while this bodes well for Skubal’s future, it also means it’s going to cost a Brinks truck full of players and prospects to acquire the pitcher.
During the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline, many teams inquired about trading for Skubal, as he was on an expiring contract. Teams were met with a massive asking price from the Tigers, though, and no team got close to pulling off a trade. Things are different in the virtual world of Franchise, of course, but you’ll still have to pony up quite the trade package to land Skubal. You might also have to immediately undergo contract negotiations, as Skubal is currently a free agent in 2026.
4. Fernando Tatis Jr. (OF, San Diego Padres)
Fernando Tatis Jr. is one of the best young players in the MLB. He has the “aura” that all sports fans are obsessed with nowadays and has put his suspension controversy well behind him. Tatis has been an offensive juggernaut ever since he arrived in the Majors, and that train hasn’t slowed down in 2025. While Tatis’ name has come up in trade talks for a couple of years, the Padres have always shown a reluctance to trade the phenom.
In MLB The Show 25, you can pull off a trade for Tatis Jr. by offering a competitive package of prospects and solid MLB players. However, the Padres need to be on the decline for the package to be worth what you’re getting in return. If the Padres have a winning record or just made the postseason, their price for Tatis tends to be higher than normal.
3. Samuel Basallo (C, Baltimore Orioles)
Samuel Basallo is the only prospect we have on this list. The Dominican prodigy is the number two-ranked prospect in the Orioles organization, and he’s currently in AAA. The only reason Basallo is on this list is due to the logjam that Baltimore seemingly has at catcher. In addition to Basallo, whose arrival seems imminent, the Orioles also have All-Star Adley Rutschman, their former number one overall prospect.
While the O’s could move Rutschman to first base in real life, that scenario might not play out in Franchise. If you pick the right time to try and deal for Basallo, Baltimore could be willing to let the prospect go for a sizable haul of your own prospects. Or, you could even try to trade for Adley Rutschman if the O’s feel Basallo is their future at catcher. A catcher is always a need for most teams in the MLB, and unless you have an All-Star behind the plate, either Basallo or Rutschman should provide an immediate upgrade for your team.
2. Paul Skenes (P, Pittsburgh Pirates)
One of the cover athletes for MLB The Show 25 is on the trade block in Franchise Mode. Paul Skenes is likely baseball’s next great pitcher, and while he’s still only in his second year of service, his organization will presumably not be able to keep him long term. The Pirates either won’t be able to afford or won’t want to pay what Skenes is eventually going to be worth, and that’s your chance to swoop in with an offer they can’t refuse.
As Skenes is so young and valuable, it will take a massive trade package to land the Cy Young candidate. However, Skenes has the potential to be baseball’s best pitcher over the next decade, so whatever it takes to land the former LSU Tiger is likely going to be worth it in the end. You’ll have to pay a huge sum to keep Skenes locked in for the foreseeable future, but again, that’s a worthwhile price to shore up the front of your rotation.
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B, Toronto Blue Jays)
If you’re an avid baseball fan, then you likely knew this trade target was coming. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been the Blue Jays’ first baseman for a few years and has shown that he has just as much potential as his Hall of Fame father. However, Toronto and Vlad have been unable to come to terms on a contract extension, and that’s where you come in.
Guerrero is a free agent in 2026, so this trade needs to happen during the 2025 Trade Deadline unless the Blue Jays somehow keep Vlad on a one-year deal. As Guerrero is on an expiring contract, it won’t cost too much in terms of prospects or players to trade for him. However, you’ll still need to pony up some AA or AAA prospects ranked in the top 10-15 of your organization. Then, you need to make sure you get Vlad to stay by locking him into a multi-year deal at the end of 2025 or 2026. If you can pull all of that off, then you have arguably the best first baseman in the MLB in the middle of your batting order for years to come.
Honorable Mention: Ketel Marte (2B, Arizona Diamondbacks)
As an honorable mention, we’re including Ketel Marte, one of the most underrated players in all of MLB The Show 25. While Marte isn’t nearly as young as the other players on this list (age 31 in 2025), he’s been one of the best second basemen in the league for a few years. Marte is a terrific trade target a couple of years down the line in Franchise if you want a steady veteran presence on your championship caliber team. Whether you need a second baseman or a reliable bat at the top of your lineup, Marte can be the missing piece to the World Series puzzle for your organization.
And that does it for our list of the top 10 trade targets in MLB The Show 25 Franchise Mode. Did we miss anyone that you like trading for in Franchise? Or are there some underrated trade chips we missed? Let us know down in the comments below.
Published: Apr 2, 2025 12:38 pm