Batting Around: Who will be the best player traded at the Winter Meetings?

Throughout the offseason the CBS Sports MLB experts will bring you a weekly Batting Around roundtable, breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Two weeks ago we discussed a potential Nolan Arenado trade. This week we're going to tackle next week's Winter Meetings.

Who will be the best player traded at the Winter Meetings?

Dayn Perry: I think it's unlikely that Tarik Skubal is traded this offseason and thus even less likely he'll be dealt during the Winter Meetings. So I'll have to go lower on the list. I'll land on Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals to the Yankees in exchange for a package led by young pitchers. Bigger names will be dealt in the weeks and months ahead, but Donovan's a notable sort. He's a quality bat from the left side who has the ability to play multiple positions and be a defensive plus at the key position of second base. He'll be a nice fit in the Bronx. 

R.J. Anderson: Donovan is a good guess. I'll stick in the NL Central and say Freddy Peralta. There've already been public murmurs about Milwaukee's payroll following Brandon Woodruff's return. The Brewers have shown a real skill for turning one year of a quality pitcher into capable returns -- be it Corbin Burnes a couple of years ago or Devin Williams this past winter. I think contenders are going to look at the free-agent market and decide they'd rather meet Milwaukee's ask on Peralta than pony up for a lesser pitcher.

MLB Winter Meetings bold predictions: Mets bring home their guy(s), Yankees add a surprise starter, more moves

Mike Axisa

Matt Snyder: I'm gonna agree with R.J. and go with Peralta. In addition to only having one year of team control left before free agency -- with the Burnes and Williams examples from the recent past -- I think Peralta just had his career year. He'll be 30 next season and posted several career highs. His ERA+ from the previous three seasons was 113, 112 and 113, respectively, before jumping to 154 last season. Some of the "expected" stats say he's due regression, perhaps significantly so, in 2026. The Brewers have a very astute front office and know all this stuff and more. If they're getting blown away with offers, they'll strike. 

Mike Axisa: I'll go off the board a bit and say Royce Lewis. Lewis had a pretty rough 2025, so maybe it's incorrect to say he'll be the "best player" traded at the Winter Meetings, but he's not short on talent and we've seen him be very good at times. The Twins sold hard at the trade deadline and ownership seems determined to shed payroll. Lewis is projected for a modest $3 million through arbitration next year and he's only 26 with another three years of control, so keeping him is more than sensible. I can see a path to the Twins trading him though. They're selling and a team could swoop in with a good offer. Lewis is my off-the-board answer.