Five Players Who Could Use a Chance of Scenery at the MLB Trade Deadline

These players have hit a wall with their current teams, but their tools or track record suggest a fresh start could change the trajectory of their careers.

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe could use a change of scenery. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The MLB trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and while stars like Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller hog many of the headlines, there are other talented players whose careers have bottomed out and could use a reset.

Some are former top prospects who once had scouts drooling but never delivered on their promise. Others are former All-Stars whose performance has rapidly fallen off a cliff. Sometimes it’s simpler than that and a player just doesn’t fit a town, a team or the moment. Front offices whiff on evaluations all the time, and when it’s clearly not working, there’s no reason to keep forcing it. 

Here are five players across MLB who have hit a wall with their current teams, but whose tools or track record suggest a fresh start elsewhere could change the trajectory of their careers.

Anthony Volpe, Yankees SS

There may not be a player in any sport who needs a change of scenery more than Anthony Volpe. The 25-year-old former top prospect who grew up a Yankees fan and was (unfairly) compared to Derek Jeter has not lived up to the hype, and his career has stagnated in his fourth MLB season. While his defensive metrics are solid, the bat has never developed as projected. 

Volpe was a consensus top 10 prospect in 2023 when he made his big league debut. He was thought to have an advanced feel at the plate, a plus hit tool, and good raw power. More than 500 games into his career, those tools haven’t shown through. He has a career slash line of .225/.288/.375 with a wRC+ of 86, meaning he’s been 14% worse than the average MLB hitter. 

The Yankees have had Volpe in the lineup for only 52 games this season, as he is clearly on the outs in the Bronx. The situation with Yankees fans has gotten toxic. Jose Caballero is the team’s first-choice shortstop, making Volpe expendable. 

Spencer Torkelson, Tigers 1B

Spencer Torkelson has a career-worst 31.9% strikeout rate this season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Torkelson was the consensus top prospect entering the 2020 MLB draft as a slugger who pounded the ball throughout his career at Arizona State—breaking Barry Bonds’s freshman home run record at the school along the way—and the Tigers unsurprisingly snagged him with the top pick. He was a first baseman only and a right-handed hitter. Despite those lackluster traits, his advanced bat and big power made him an easy choice for Detroit. That selection hasn’t worked out and, in hindsight, he was just the best player in a weak draft class. 

Now 26, Torkelson hasn’t managed to string together back-to-back decent seasons in the big leagues. He has a career slash line of .233/.309/.412, a wRC+ of 101, and an abysmal strikeout rate of 26.7%. After tying a career-high with 31 home runs in 2025 while setting career marks in batting average (.240), on-base percentage (.333), slugging (.456) and wRC+ (118), he has regressed this season. Through 108 games, he’s hitting .210 with a .724 OPS, a wRC+ of 99 and a career-worst strikeout rate of 31.9%. 

Torkelson has two years of control left and can still barrel balls at a good rate. A new opportunity could turn his career around.

Matt Shaw, Cubs UT

Shaw was a first-round pick in 2023 and was a top 25 prospect entering the ’25 season. He made the Opening Day roster but has struggled to succeed in the first 180-plus games of his career. Things have bottomed out this year, and he doesn’t seem to fit on the North Side anymore. He’s currently on the IL with a sprained left hand and won’t be back until after the trade deadline. That doesn’t mean a move can’t happen. 

He had his moments as a rookie, but ended up slashing .226/.295/.394 with 13 home runs and a wRC+ of 93. Things have not been markedly better this year, as he’s slashing .246/.322/.415 with four home runs and a 105 wRC+ in 56 games. 

Shaw has the tools to be a good player and is versatile enough to play anywhere. He’s only 24, but to get the most out of his ability, he may need to move on. Shaw’s outspoken political views haven’t made him many friends in Chicago. A new situation might be best for both parties.

Bo Naylor, Guardians C

Guardians catcher Bo Naylor’s 21 wRC+ ranks 416th out of 418 players with at least 90 plate appearances this year. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Naylor was a first-round pick in 2018 and was one of Cleveland’s top prospects until he made his debut late in the ’22 season. He was finally brought up for good midway through the next campaign and posted a stellar 123 wRC+ in 67 games. That would be the height of his offensive exploits, however. 

The younger Naylor brother has struggled mightily at the plate since. In 2024 and ‘25, he combined to slash .198/.273/.365 in 246 games. This season, he has spent time at Triple A attempting to find his swing, but in 28 big league games he has slashed .143/.200/.238 with a wRC+ of 21. Things have gotten really ugly, and after the addition of Patrick Bailey, Naylor doesn’t look like he has a clear path to playing time behind the plate anymore. 

Naylor has the fundamentals to be a good baseball player. He’s a solid catcher with a decent arm and hit during his rise up the minor league ranks. He has enough power to do damage and made consistent hard contact as a prospect. He clearly needs a career reset. 

Michael Lorenzen, Rockies RHP

Lorenzen is a former All-Star who posted a 3.31 ERA as recently as 2024, but he’s been horrendous this year after signing a one-year, $8 million deal with the Rockies this offseason. Someone needs to get him the heck out of Denver. 

In 23 appearances this season (22 starts), Lorenzen is 3–9 with a 6.54 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 80 strikeouts against 40 walks in 104 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old righty’s Statcast page looks like a crime as he ranks in single-digit percentiles across most categories. It has been one of the worst performances we’ve seen from a pitcher this season. 

Lorenzen has had plenty of big-league success. He’s turned in sub-4 ERAs a handful of times as both a starter and reliever. He’s probably a fifth starter at this point, but it’s clear he needs to get away from Coors Field, as he’s carrying an 8.34 ERA at home this season. His contract carries a club option for $9 million next season with a $250,000 buyout. He has enough potential for someone to take a chance on that deal, but there’s no way he’ll be back in Colorado next season. The Rockies might as well expedite his departure by the trade deadline.

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