One of the most important parts of building a successful franchise is to make some key trades along the way. Nothing gets your future dynasty cooking faster than trading for an impact player. If you still need to decide which team to build up, take a look at my last article – MLB The Show 20: Picking Your Franchise Team.
Before we start I would advise taking a look at the free agent pool before looking into a trade. Jordan Balazovic is 79 Overall prospect with A potential that is just there for the taking. He is a top pitching prospect for the Twins that for some reason does not have a home in MLB The Show 20. There will also be a bunch of game-generated free agents on the list that are quality players. I would definitely advise taking a good look at the list of free agents before diving into the trade market.
Top Tier Targets
Gleyber Torres – 89 Overall
Torres is on the brink of becoming a legitimate superstar. At 23-years-old Torres will ride his A potential to become one of the best players in the game. With mid-70’s contact and mid-to-high-80’s power, Torres will become an immediate top of the lineup option for your franchise. He is a good defender that can play 2B, 3B and SS. His only real defect is his inability to run with only 40 speed.
Torres is the highest rated player on my list and probably not the best target for certain teams. If you took my team selection advice and picked a team on the rise then Torres is well worth the trade capital. Two high-end prospects and a throw-in should get the deal done.
Liam Hendriks – 88 Overall
Hendricks had an unreal year in 2019 to boost his overall to 88. The 31-year-old still has plenty left in the tank and will still improve if you can have success with him (wish should not be hard). Hendriks is an elite closer and can be traded for mid-level prospects. Any team could take Hendriks away from Oakland without giving up anyone of real value. I would highly advise this move for any team ready to compete as every bullpen would be improved with the addition of Liam Hendriks.
- Ryan Pressly is also an 88 overall, 31-year-old RP for Houston. If you do not/can’t find the right deal with Hendriks, shift your focus to Pressly.
Yordan Alvarez – 87 Overall
Alvarez is the perfect player to trade for in MLB The Show 20. At 22-years-old Yordan Alvarez has just as much time to develop as the top prospects he will cost. The difference is that he is already an elite MLB hitter. Yordan can rake with 85 and 78 contact, 92 and 84 power. He also has 44 vision, which is actually much higher than most pure power hitters. He is currently listed as a Left Fielder but may have more value moving to 1B.
Alvarez is another player that may not be suited for every franchise. He will cost two or three top prospects but will return the value. He is worth going all-in on because of his youth and long-term team control (six seasons). Alvarez is one of the better players to invest in for a franchise that wants to develop a power bat to anchor the middle of the order.
Josh Hader – 84 Overall
Josh Hader is the most dynamic left-handed relief pitcher in the game. Hader has two types of fastballs and an elite slider. Having a shutdown lefty in the bullpen is extremely valuable and Josh Hader is not difficult to trade for. With 99 H/9, K/9, Clutch and Break, Hader is almost unstoppable. He is also 25-years-old so he can really only get better. Relievers are undervalued in MLB The Show 20 so any franchise can land Josh Hader while keeping the MLB team intact. He won’t even cost you a top prospect if you send over three players.
Austin Meadows – 81 Overall
Meadows is one of the most complete young players in the game. At 24-years-old Meadows is a player to trade for and build around. The Rays did just that when they made one of the most lopsided trades in recent memory. Austin’s hitting attributes are in the mid-70’s range with 81 contact versus righties. He has 65 speed and will be solid in the outfield. With A potential he will be someone who continues to improve each month.
Meadows can be acquired by any team in the game without making any massive sacrifices. The trade finder is the best way to figure out which players will get the trade going. I suggest centering the trade around a player who has high potential but is not going to factor into your team. For example, every team will have some 22-25-year-old players with A or B potential with an overall in the 60’s. That player is never going to be a centerpiece for your organization and will have the most value as a trade asset. You should not have to give notable MLB talent to acquire Austin Meadows.
Mid Tier Targets
Mitch Garver – 84 Overall
Garver is a not a household name, but he was a huge reason for the Twins success in 2019. Garver has 62 and 80 contact which is quite high for a catcher. After hitting 31 home runs in 2019, he was awarded with 88 and 90 power as well. There is still room for growth at 29-years-old which makes him an absolute steal given his trade value. Not many catchers can be a middle of the lineup threat like Mitch Garver.
Sean Doolittle – 83 Overall
Doolittle can serve many roles in the bullpen. He is listed as a closer and can handle that job for a team in need. He also can be a strong left-handed relief option for just about any bullpen. Sean Doolittle is 33-years-old so he can be acquired for very little and still has an 84 H/9 rating and 80 K/9. His 71 control is very high and his ratings across the board are very solid. Doolittle could be a steal for any team that is ready for a playoff push.
Hunter Dozier – 80 Overall
Dozier has taken awhile to develop but he finally broke out at 27-years-old in 2019. Hunter is an all around solid player with no glaring weaknesses. The Royals have used him at 3B, 1B and RF so he brings a bit of versatility as well as a balanced bat. His hitting stats range from 72 to 65. Dozier could be a diamond in the rough if developed correctly, but he is not going to be the guy you build a team around.
Wilson Ramos – 80 Overall
Ramos is a great fill-in for any team that does not have an impact catcher. A lot of teams are in desperate need for a catcher that can hit over .250. With 72 and 92 contact, 56 and 65 power, Ramos is more than capable of producing at the plate. He also has 77 vision which will be a massive aid to PCI users. Ramos is not going to your next franchise catcher at 32-years-old, but he can provide some pop for the time being.
Tim Anderson – 77 Overall
Tim Anderson’s rating is surprisingly low given his actual attributes. He takes a hit because of his unimpressive fielding stats at a premium position. However, he is still going to be fine at shortstop and can also play second and third base. He is worth taking a look at for his 93 and 94 contact ratings. He also has 58 and 56 power to go along with 65 vision. His 75 speed and contact ability make him a quality top of the order hitter. At only 26-years-old Anderson could become a key piece of your franchise, especially given his dirt cheap contract.
Bargain Trade Targets
Jorge Soler – 79 Overall
Soler has always had the potential to become a serious power threat at the MLB level. After a 48 home run campaign in 2019, his power stats reflect his raw strength. With 94 and 83 power, Soler can change the outcome of the game with one swing of the bat. His 65 and 62 contact ratings are plenty high enough to put the ball in play consistently.
Trey Mancini – 76 Overall
Trey Mancini is one of the best offensive steals in the game. Mancini’s contact and power ratings all sit in the 70’s with 57 vision. He can play all three outfield positions as well as first base. He can be slotted into the same spot every game while giving you the piece of mind that he will have a good shot of producing against anyone. There are a lot of players that murder either right or left handed hitting and struggle against the other. He will be able to hit for power and contact and face any pitcher without being at a disadvantage.
Khris Davis – 75 Overall
Khris Davis is the reason why I wrote this article. In MLB The Show 19 I traded for Davis and he became the piece I needed to put an exiting Braves team over the edge. I traded for him at the deadline and he mashed for my team for a few seasons before I stopped playing. Despite being on the wrong side of 30, Davis was able to develop rapidly because of his immense production.
The same opportunity is being presented to you in MLB The Show 20. The Athletics will give you Khris Davis for just about anyone because of his age and C potential (which means nothing). Davis has 54 contact across the board to go along with 87 and 89 power. Davis can handle a corner outfield spot but will be more valuable as a pure DH. If you picked a team in the National League, a move to first base might be helpful but not necessary. I had him play right field for my Braves team and Acuna Jr. had enough speed to cover the gap.
Ronald Torreyes – 75 Overall
Torreyes is not the under the radar star you clicked on this article for. He is, however, a solid utility player that could not be cheaper on the trade market. Torreyes is the definition of a contact hitter with 75 contact against both left and right handed pitching. He also has 88 vision which is better than some of the top hitters in the game. Ronald Torreyes is an above average infielder that can play 2B, 3B and SS. While injuries in MLB The Show 20 are not nearly as common as they are in real life, Ronald Torreyes will provide depth for minimal cost.
- Torreyes Phillies’ teammate, Jean Segura, is a higher caliber player with a similar skill set if you are looking to pay a little more. His trade value and $14M annual salary kept him off of my list.