Now that Juan Soto is off the board, trade rumors have started to gain steam at the MLB winter meetings in Dallas.

Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet remains the likeliest big name to be dealt, but a couple of even bigger names have popped up as trade possibilities: Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker and St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.

When Astros general manager Dana Brown met with reporters at the meetings on Monday, he was asked about the team’s willingness to trade Tucker and starter Framber Valdez, who each have one season left until reaching free agency, and replied, “We’ll listen on anybody. Brown added, “We’re not trying to aggressively move anybody out the door.”

Still, it feels like the door is open. Consider this: Over the past three seasons, Tucker has averaged 6.5 WAR per 162 games — the same as Soto. In fact, Tucker had a higher OPS+ than Soto in 2024 (although Tucker played just 78 games because of a slow-healing right shin fracture). Tucker will be three years older than Soto when he hits free agency, but the Astros could very well be looking at Soto’s new contract and wondering how much Tucker will get on the open market. If they re-sign free agent Alex Bregman, it’s possible they won’t be able to spend on both players and thus could trade Tucker for young players or prospects.

Meanwhile, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said it is his “intention to try” to move Arenado, the eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner who is entering his age-34 season and coming off his worst offensive season (.272/.325/.394) since his rookie year. Arenado is signed for three more seasons at a total of $74 million (including $32 million in 2025). Arenado has a full no-trade clause and has expressed a willingness to move off third base if necessary, so it seems he’s open to a trade. As Buster Olney reported, the Cardinals would likely have to cover some of Arenado’s remaining salary.

With all that in mind, let’s find three potential trade partners for each player.

Kyle Tucker

New York Yankees: On the heels of losing Soto, Brian Cashman also announced that it makes sense to move Aaron Judge back to right field. That would seemingly open center field for prospect Jasson Domínguez — but that still leaves room in left field for Tucker since Alex Verdugo is also a free agent.

Of course, it’s hard to envision the Astros trading Tucker to the Yankees, a team they have defeated three times in the ALCS since 2017, but the bigger question here is whether the Yankees would have the prospects needed to acquire Tucker. The Astros would have to prioritize position players in their return, and assuming Domínguez is off the board, that would leave outfielder Spencer Jones as the top prospect, a player the Yankees have been reluctant to trade. The other top-rated position players in the Yankees’ system are in A-ball and a long way from the majors.

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies signed reliever Jordan Romano this week, but it feels like Dave Dombrowski is itching to do something bigger to perhaps shake up a roster that has been pretty static over the past two years. There are rumors Philadelphia could deal away Alec Bohm, and adding Tucker to the middle of the lineup would be a huge addition to an offense that struggled in the playoffs against the Diamondbacks in 2023 and the Mets in 2024.

The Phillies could play Tucker in right and slide Nick Castellanos over to left, leaving Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas for center field — although the Astros might ask for Marsh or Rojas in our hypothetical deal to fill a hole in center (or maybe even Castellanos, although the Phillies would have to pay down some of the $40 million still owed him). If Bregman signs elsewhere as a free agent (maybe even with the Phillies!), Bohm could be a player going back to Houston with outfield prospect Justin Crawford, the player the Astros would most likely demand be included in the deal.

Cincinnati Reds: Reds outfielders ranked 24th in the majors in OPS, and the team already traded infielder Jonathan India, its best OBP guy in 2024, to the Royals this offseason — so this is a lineup in desperate need of a big hitter such as Tucker. The Reds have one of the better farm systems in the sport, with a slew of young pitchers and pitching prospects they could offer Houston — although Cincinnati’s top position-player prospects are all infielders (Edwin Arroyo, Cam Collier, Sal Stewart). If the Astros are willing to take some pitching back — not their biggest need — a deal here makes sense. Tucker’s projected arbitration salary of $15.8 million shouldn’t be prohibitive, even for a penny-pinching organization such as the Reds.

Nolan Arenado

Yankees: Cashman, while admitting Monday that the Yankees have plenty to do in replacing Soto, also said, “We’re not going to be drunken sailors.” Ah, it was more fun being a Yankees fan when King George just wrote out blank checks.

Anyway, trading for Arenado would allow the Yankees to slide Jazz Chisholm Jr. over to second base. They also need a first baseman and could sign three-time Gold Glover Christian Walker. Throw in 2023 Gold Glove shortstop Anthony Volpe, and that would be the best defensive infield in the majors. The concern: How much juice is left in Arenado’s bat after he had just 39 extra-base hits in 2024?

Los Angeles Angels: Yes, Anthony Rendon is still under contract for two more years, but he has played just 205 games over the past four seasons and GM Perry Minasian is clearly looking to move in another direction at third base after saying Monday, “We have to be open to at least looking at that spot and seeing if there are other alternatives that make us better.”

The issue for the Angels might be getting Arenado to approve a trade to a team that isn’t expected to be a playoff contender in 2025, despite the front office’s stated intention to improve (and a busy offseason so far that has included adding Yusei Kikuchi, Jorge Soler, Kyle Hendricks, Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Newman). Given the ages of those five acquisitions, the Angels might as well go all-in on 30-something players, roll the dice and hope for a miracle.

Washington Nationals: Nationals third basemen hit .228 with an MLB-worst seven home runs in 2024. Even Arenado’s 2024 production would be a huge improvement over those meager numbers. He would add an experienced veteran to a young team that could use his leadership as it tries to climb in a loaded National League East. (The Astros could be another possibility for Arenado, if they don’t sign Bregman.)