This has been a weird offseason for most MLB fans. Sure, if you are a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, or Boston Red Sox, your favorite team has done plenty to prepare their roster for the 2025 season. But money only wins the offseason—there’s still a 162-game grind ahead, offering hope to the other 27 clubs. And with pitchers and catchers already reporting, plenty of impact free agents remain on the market.
Whether it is the arid Arizona air or fragrant Florida foliage, many clubs will have some semblance of prospect power joining them for big-league camp this spring. Pitcher Roki Sasaki, outfielder Roman Anthony, and others are some premier non-roster invitees that prospect hounds can look forward to. In that same vein, there will be some promising players donning new duds for the first time this spring. With every new organization comes new opportunities and new outlooks. Let’s look at some of the top prospects traded this offseason and see if their stock is up or down from a dynasty perspective.
The Top Tier
No. 2 Chicago White Sox fantasy prospect
2024 Stats: DNP (fractured right ankle on June 8, 2024)
One of the headline prospects sent from the Boston Red Sox to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet trade, Montgomery is a very high-upside outfielder in the White Sox system. Forget about his fireballing ways out of a collegiate bullpen and embrace the switch hitter’s all-or-nothing approach at the plate. The 12th overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft looked a step above his SEC competition en route to staking his reputation as a three-true outcome player. His 20.1% strikeout rate in 2024 was unsightly, but paired with a 17.7% walk rate, it was a near-even trade-off. Plus, Montgomery put elite juice into the ball, with numerous exit velocities surpassing 110 MPH and touching 115 MPH at times. He does have some in-zone whiff concerns, but like his strikeouts to walks, the trade-off for power is worth it.
Montgomery not playing after the draft may raise red flags, but those should be disregarded. The nature of his injury, while unfortunate, shouldn’t impact his long-term outlook or sap his above-average speed in the field. There is every chance the Texas A&M product is joining Chicago for big-league camp next spring and pushing for the Opening Day roster.
But the White Sox’s track record of developing, or even polishing, hitters isn’t amazing. Montgomery has some work to do in 2025, and Chicago’s player development staff may not be up for the task.
Stock: DOWN
No. 6 Chicago White Sox fantasy prospect
2024 Stats (AA/AAA): .288 AVG | .386 OBP | .433 SLG | .819 OPS | 13.5% BB% | 23.0% K% | .145 ISO | 134 wRC+
Teel has a straightforward swing, with more of a gap-to-gap approach rather than trying to put it over the fence. Scouts raved about his ability to hit to the opposite field, while his pull power will play at the major league level. The lefty is more of a high-floor prospect than a high-ceiling one, but consistency is valuable in baseball.
There are some concerns about Teel’s setup behind the plate, but few about his ability to call a game or his arm behind the dish. His pop time from the draft process was one of his calling cards, and that smooth transfer in limiting baserunners hasn’t waned at all.
Between Chicago’s positional need and Teel’s ability behind the plate, the Virginia alum should be in The Show sooner rather than later. He may not be a Rookie of the Year candidate from the word go, but Teel has some foundational skills that should translate to him being an average catcher overall, with his bat coming along as it does. Fellow White Sox catching prospect Edgar Quero will be Teel’s primary competition, but the organizational newcomer’s floor gives him the long-term edge.
Stock: UP
3B Cam Smith
No. 1 Houston Astros fantasy prospect
2024 Stats (A/A+/AA):. 313 AVG | .396 OBP | .609 SLG | 1.004 OPS | 11.2% BB% | 17.9% K% | .296 ISO | 179 wRC+
Unlike Montgomery, Cam Smith has plus power but with excellent bat-to-ball skills to match. The Florida State product had an excellent professional debut, making it all the way to Double-A before the season was said and done. He did struggle a bit against more polished pitchers with the Tennessee Smokies, but even that resulted in a .774 OPS and two triples in five games.
The Cubs sent Smith down to Houston in the Kyle Tucker trade, using big prospect star power to gain very real big-league star production. The Astros also acquired short-term insurance at the hot corner in Isaac Paredes, giving Smith plenty of developmental berth. Both players make Houston better in the long term, and there are few home fields that would fit Smith’s pull power better.
Smith’s long-term fit with the Astros is an enviable one from a prospect’s standpoint. His value lies almost entirely within his bat, and the natural third baseman may be better suited in a corner outfield spot. No matter where he plays on the field, Smith and Daikin Park are a great pairing for years to come. Houston loves to leverage their controllable talent for all it is worth, so as soon as Smith is ready, he will be in The Show.
Stock: UP
The Second Tier
SS Starlyn Caba
No. 6 Miami Marlins fantasy prospects
2024 Stats (CPX/A): .228 AVG | .385 OBP | .284 SLG | .669 OPS | 19.7% BB% | 14.4% K% | .056 ISO | 102 wRC+
The Philadelphia Phillies sent their top international free agent acquisition from the 2023 signing period down to Miami in this offseason’s trade for pitcher Jesús Luzardo. Starlyn Caba reached the Low-A Clearwater Threshers in his age-18 season, playing a sterling shortstop while leaving something to be desired at the plate. Caba does have plus speed on the basepaths, evident by his 50 stolen bases on the season, but even he couldn’t beat out his 56.8% ground-ball rate in Low-A.
Caba’s glove, while valuable to an MLB team, isn’t as valuable to fantasy managers. That tool will certainly help move him through the Marlins system, but his batting skills lag well behind his fielding skills. He will have to get not only more active at the plate but also keep the ball off the ground if he wants to be in Miami in 2027 or 2028. He might just not be that kind of player, but he can be a good baseball player while not being valuable in fantasy settings.
Stock: DOWN
No. 9 Miami Marlins fantasy prospects
2024 Stats (A): .276 AVG | .321 OBP | .454 SLG | .775 OPS | 5.0% BB% | 21.1% K% | .179 ISO | 125 wRC+
Another prospect from a separate trade, the Marlins added infielder Echedry Vargas this offseason from the Texas Rangers system. He spent the entire 2024 season with the Low-A Down East Wood Ducks, looking to follow up on his stateside debut from 2023. He did flirt with a 15/30 season, but there are some red flags when it comes to Vargas’ field fit and swing-and-miss history.
Vargas did post a 16.8% swinging-strike rate in 2024, more of the same from his 2023 performance. He has a very aggressive approach, and the effort in his swing matches that. His age-20 season will be a definitive one, as evaluators see if he can improve on those issues at the plate. The power potential is solid, but his ability to get on base hurts his long-term base-stealing outlook.
Stock: DOWN
OF Mike Sirota
2024 Stats: DNP
Trading with the Los Angeles Dodgers feels like trading with the Tampa Bay Rays at this point. If the Dodgers want a seemingly low-value player, why do they want that player, and what did their trade partner miss? That is the case with 2024 third-rounder Mike Sirota, whom Los Angeles acquired from the Cincinnati Reds this offseason.
The Northeastern alum didn’t make his professional debut last season, but his landing with the Dodgers is an excellent fit. He has the legs and arm to be an everyday centerfielder, but disjointed swing mechanics in his junior season hurt his draft stock after his 18-homer sophomore season. Los Angeles should be able to polish that tool, while Sirota could show what his legs can do on the basepaths. He is a prime “one change away” player in the Dodgers system.
Stock: UP
SS/2B Max Acosta
2024 Stats (AA): .288 AVG | .353 OBP | .425 SLG | .777 OPS | 7.8% BB% | 13.4% K% | .137 ISO | 119 wRC+
Another member of the Jake Burger trade, Max Acosta may turn some heads this spring training with Miami. One of the top players in the 2019 international signing period, injuries and the pandemic really soured Acosta’s development progress. But a solid 2024 season led to a stellar Arizona Fall League showing, and that caught some evaluators’ attention. His .934 OPS and 17 RBI in 20 games for the Surprise Saguaros made Acosta one of the AFL’s better bats and reminded people why he was a top-five prospect in the Rangers system back in 2020.
Acosta has a very serviceable blend of power and discipline at the plate, with the fielding flexibility to match. He could make his MLB debut later in 2025 for a rebuilding Marlins squad, with some fringy upside to be an average regular for Miami.
Stock: UP
The Third Tier
1B Will Simpson
2024 Stats (A+/AA): .282 AVG | .378 OBP | .482 SLG | .860 OPS | 13.8% BB% | 24.5% K% | .200 ISO | 144 wRC+
The Washington alum is a corner infielder only but has some potential in his bat. A .353 BABIP in 2024 likely inflated his statistics a bit, but the 23-year-old gets a fresh start in the Tampa Bay Rays organization from the mess fans call the Athletics. It is impossible to ignore his 18 homers and 90 RBI season last year, and Tampa Bay could identify his bat-to-ball issues that fuel a 13.8% swinging-strike rate and inadequate 71.6% contact rate. Heading into his age-23 season, there is some time to adjust his game, and the Rays could be the team to do that.
Stock: UP
RHP Juan Bello
2024 Stats (A): 22 games (22 starts), 3.21 ERA | 3.38 FIP | 25.1% K% | 7.7 BB% | 1.13 WHIP | 28.2% CSW
The Columbia native went from the Cubs organization that signed him in 2022 down to the Astros in the Ryan Pressly trade in late January. At 20 years old, Bello looked ready for his first season with the Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Already showcasing a four-pitch mix, the Astros are a trustworthy organization to get the most out of Bello despite a below-average fastball.
Stock: UP
2024 Stats (A+): .239 AVG | .316 OBP | .330 SLG | .647 OPS | 6.8% BB% | 19.5% K% | .091 ISO | 90 wRC+
Toolsy doesn’t do Emaarion Boyd justice. The outfielder has elite speed and swiped 56 bags in his 2023 campaign. But his lack of juice off the bat came back to hurt his first season in High-A, cutting his stolen bases down to 27. He has little game power and took some big steps back in making contact at the plate. Pair that with some rougher edges in the field, and Miami still has a long way to go if they want Boyd to join their big-league roster.
Stock: DOWN