The AL Central is a peculiar division, comprised of four savvy small-market teams and one theoretically big-market team that acts like a small-market team. The race to the top last season was absolutely thrilling. The Detroit Tigers were the best team in baseball for months, only to collapse late and open the door for a historic Cleveland Guardians comeback.
Next season promises more of the same, with Detroit and Cleveland punching a bit above their weight class. The Kansas City Royals surely hope to rejoin the fray, while the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox are toeing the fine line between underdog contender and all-out rebuild. If each team were to make a trade this winter, here are some ideal (realistic) targets.
Chicago White Sox — 1B Bryce Eldridge 
St. Louis Cardinals v San Francisco Giants | Ezra Shaw/GettyImages
The White Sox made the pleasantly surprising move to sign Munetaka Murakami on Sunday, but that shouldn’t dissuade them from reaching out to the San Francisco Giants about Bryce Eldridge. It would take a significant package to pry MLB’s No. 12 prospect out of the Bay Area, but the overlap with Rafeal Devers could be enough to tempt San Francisco into an exchange of top prospects.
Some will point to the comparable overlap between Eldridge and Murakami, but Chicago is in no position to worry about fit over talent. Eldridge has the arm to play right field if necessary. Murakami can play third base, even if he’s less stable defensively. Both Eldridge and Murakami can take turns DHing. There are ways to make sure both sluggers are in the lineup consistently.
Eldridge didn’t do much with his brief MLB audition last season, going 3-for-28 at the plate. But he also generated a 68.8 percent hard-contact rate, well above the league leaders in that category. He needs to tighten his swing and start reading MLB pitchers better, but he’s only 20, and another offseason — ideally spent with the big-league squad in Chicago — should do him good. Eldridge is among the most gifted hitting prospects in the sport. If the White Sox have even a prayer here, they need to jump at it.
Minnesota Twins — C/1B/OF Tyler Soderstrom
Boston Red Sox v Athletics | Justine Willard/Athletics/GettyImages
There is a growing sentiment that the Athletics will need to trade one of their core pieces for viable pitching eventually. Tyler Soderstrom might be their most valuable asset — a 24-year-old who can play catcher, first base or left field, and who finished last season with an. 820 OPS and 126 OPS+. Soderstrom generates consistent, quality contact from the left side and has proven quite adept at every position the A’s put him in.
It would take an arm, a leg and maybe a kidney in prospect terms for the Twins to even get the A’s on the phone. Or, maybe it takes one of Pablo López, Joe Ryan or Zebby Matthews, depending on how the A’s value immediate impact versus control. But if the Twins want to compete this season — and want to insert a genuine star into the lineup for years to come — Soderstrom would be a dream haul.
Minnesota has the MLB pitchers and the deep prospect depth to put a viable deal on the Athletics’ radar. Soderstrom is still under club control at arbitration rates through 2030, so again, Minnesota needs to come with an aggressive proposal. But if the Twins and A’s feel like they can help each other out, maybe a small-market blockbuster comes together out of nowhere.
Kansas City Royals — OF Jarren Duran
Wild Card Series – Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees – Game One | Jim McIsaac/GettyImages
The Royals reunited with Matt Strahm over the weekend, but there remains vast room for improvement offensively. Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel GarcÃa and Vinnie Pasquantino all raked last season. The rest of Kansas City’s lineup? Not so much. The Royals need bats all over the place, but particularly in the outfield. One of the cleanest and easiest fits: Jarren Duran, who has experience all over the outfield, and who is available with three years of control left.
As the Boston Red Sox attempt to allay their outfield logjam and balance out a lefty-heavy lineup, Duran is a potential steal for the Royals. Last season was bumpy at times, but Duran still posted a .774 OPS and 114 OPS+. The season prior, he cranked out an .834 OPS and 132 OPS+, leading the AL in triples (14), doubles (48) and plate appearances.
Duran is best defensively in the corners, but he has spent time in center, so the Royals can move him around. At the plate, he’s an immediate upgrade in the middle of the lineup, still in his prime at 29. Whether this becomes a bigger package to deliver MLB-ready pitching to Boston, or if the Royals just decide to poach from a deep Red Sox farm system, this feels like one of the most logical player-team pairings out there.
Detroit Tigers — OF Luis Robert Jr.
Toronto Blue Jays v Chicago White Sox | Michael Reaves/GettyImages
The Tigers collapsed down the stretch of last season and wound up ceding the NL Central to Cleveland, but it was the Detroit who escaped the first round of the postseason and gave the Mariners all they could handle in the ALDS. This Tigers squad is very good. Tarik Skubal is the ace of aces, and AJ Hinch might be the best manager in MLB. Even Detroit’s lineup is significantly better than it gets credit for; the Tigers are deep and the weak points are few and far between.
Eight of nine projected Detroit starters next season posted an OPS above .700 in 2025. The lone exception? Centerfielder Parker Meadows, who finished with a .621 OPS and 73 OPS+. If the Tigers want to add a bit more pop in centerfield without sacrificing the speed and defense Meadows provides, why not dial up their division rivals in Chicago? Luis Robert Jr. feels like a near-lock to change teams this winter, especially after the Murakami signing. Detroit can make it worth their while.
An All-Star in 2023, Robert’s production has sharply declined over the last couple seasons. But he’s only 28, with major tools and plenty of raw power. He’s an excellent candidate to flourish with a change of scenery. Robert struggles primarily against right-handed pitching, but he absolutely mashes against lefties, and he’s good for 20-plus stolen bases and elite defensive range in centerfield. Even if he ends up being more of an overpriced situational piece, no team is better at exploiting matchups and playing the numbers game than Detroit.
Cleveland Guardians — IF/OF Brendan Donovan
St. Louis Cardinals v Milwaukee Brewers | John Fisher/GettyImages
Should the Guardians be looking for a bit more power? Sure, but of the widely theorized and reported trade candidates, none fit the Guard Ball ethos more clearly than Brendan Donovan. If the Guardians want to add a controllable utility defender with All-Star bonafides at the plate, Donovan is the man — and he should be gettable at a reasonable price, considering the depth of Cleveland’s farm system.
Donovan is one of the more underrated players floating around the rumor mill. The St. Louis Cardinals are all-in on a rebuild and could be attracted to Cleveland’s wealth of plus-hitting position prospects. At 28, Donovan is under contract through 2028 at cheap, arbitration rates. He could end up back on the trade block a year from now — Cleveland handing him an extension is far from guaranteed — but even if this ends up being a short-term rental, Donovan moves the needle for a team hoping to compete in the AL.
Comfortable sliding between second base, third base and left field, Donovan could fill a variety of roles for the Guardians. Is he their everyday second baseman? A Steven Kwan replacement in left? Time will tell. But his .775 OPS and 119 OPS+ from last season would put Donovan among the best hitters on the Guardians’ roster. He can bat leadoff, generate consistent contact, and do the small, winning things that Cleveland specializes in.