MLB Rumors: 3 N.L. Players Most Likely To Be Traded In Offseason

The end of the baseball offseason is only a couple of weeks away, at the conclusion of the World Series. Then the work really begins for front offices around the league, figuring out how to improve their teams for 2023. Free agency is one way, but a good old-fashioned trade is a less expensive means.

There are a number of players on the trade block in one form or another in both leagues; here's a look at three of the top players in the National League that are most likely to be traded this offseason.

1. Pablo Lopez, P, Miami Marlins

Lopez nearly found himself dealt at the August 2nd trade deadline. In fact, he almost found himself in Yankee pinstripes.

The Yankees 'checked in' on trading for Pablo Lopez, though they found the Marlins' price high, per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/7aTfVgDCiB
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 2, 2022

The Yankees simply wouldn't bite on the Marlins' ask of their top two prospects Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza.

But the 26-year-old is still on the block, after his strong season that featured a 3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 174 strikeouts. The Marlins need offensive help big-time, and Lopez could be sacrificed from their bumper crop of young talented starters.

2. Ian Happ, OF, Chicago Cubs

Happ made his first All-Star team last season and was a strong contributor for the Cubs for most of the year. But at 28, he doesn't really fit the team's rebuilding timeline, and being a switch-hitter coming off a good season (.271 avg, .781 OPS, 17 HR, 72 RBIs, 9 SB), he's got some decent trade value.

He was a hot commodity at the trade deadline in August, though a deal never materialized. But with free agency looming at the end of the 2023 season, expect the Cubs to look to trade Happ.

3. CJ Cron, 1B, Colorado Rockies

Another player getting his first All-Star selection in 2022, Cron had a monster first half in the thin air of Colorado. He will also be a free agent after the 2023 season, and the Rockies will market him to teams looking for a solid power bat.

However, it's buyer beware here, as his home-road splits are as extreme as it gets, as Cron seems to be a total product of the Denver high altitude:

A .303 batting average at home turned into a .214 on the road; a .955 OPS became .619 away from hitter-happy Coors Field. 22 HR and 75 RBIs at home dropped off a cliff to 7 HR and 27 RBIs on the road.

Photo: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports