The December 1 lockout is coming, and with it a full freeze on all MLB transactions. Before the phones go silent, reporter Robert Murray laid out at FanSided the six most attractive trade candidates on the market right now: William Contreras, Jeremy Peña, Steven Kwan, CJ Abrams, Zach Neto, and Reid Detmers. The urgency is real — any team that doesn’t close a deal in the next few weeks will have to wait until the CBA gets resolved.
Why the lockout makes these the most frantic weeks of the offseason
The collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLBPA expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1, and the league has already sent teams a memo outlining lockout procedures. The most likely scenario: an immediate transaction freeze, a potential Spring Training delay, and months of uncertainty. Adding to the pressure for buyer teams is a free-agent class widely considered weak this winter, which is funneling nearly all the interest toward the trade market. Murray’s list isn’t just speculation — it’s a practical guide to which moves could actually happen before the GM hotlines go cold. Act now or wait.
Contreras: fresh off the World Series and already the talk of the trade market
The most discussed name on the list is William Contreras. The 28-year-old Venezuelan catcher wrapped up the regular season with a .270 AVG, 18 HR, 94 RBI, an OPS+ of 108 — 8% better than the average MLB catcher — and 2.9 WAR over 147 games. Then he turned it up in the postseason: .367 AVG, 3 HR, and a 1.157 OPS in 30 plate appearances.
The contract situation is what makes things complicated for Milwaukee. Contreras carries a club option of $14.5 million for 2027, his last year of team control before free agency. The Brewers have a well-documented pattern of moving stars before the clock runs out — Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, Freddy Peralta, and Devin Williams all left through that same door — and they already have 23-year-old prospect Jeferson Quero at Triple-A waiting in the wings.
Murray mentioned the New York Yankees as a hypothetical destination, though he was clear that no formal negotiations have been confirmed. On the Statcast side, Contreras posts a 90.3 mph exit velocity, 44.1% Hard Hit%, and 8.5% Barrel% — numbers that justify genuine market competition for his services. Milwaukee can turn him into prospects before his contract value peaks and then disappears.
The other five: young, controllable, and on teams thinking about the future
- Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians) — Finished sixth in fWAR among all players in the second half of the regular season, making him the most attractive outfielder available in the trade market.
- Jeremy Peña (Houston Astros) — His name comes up not because of poor performance, but because of roster fit and contract projection concerns in Houston.
- CJ Abrams (Washington Nationals) — Has been in trade rumors for months, but Washington has held firm on a very high asking price.
- Zach Neto (Los Angeles Angels) — The 25-year-old shortstop is controllable through 2029 and drew interest from the Rays and Red Sox at the August trade deadline. Exactly the kind of piece every contender wants locked up before the freeze.
- Reid Detmers (Los Angeles Angels) — The left-hander generated significant interest at the deadline and is the most appealing arm available on a franchise still weighing whether to fully commit to a rebuild.
The deadline is the same for all six: get it done before December 1, or wait indefinitely.
