In the absence of a Tarik Skubal blockbuster, Major League Baseball’s winter meetings will have to make do with the best of what’s still around.
Can the industry conjure up a more interesting trade than one involving Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte? Alas, a deal involving the 32-year-old whose connection with his current team might be a bit strained looms as the meetings’ potential highlight on the trade market.
In that spirit, let’s examine a handful of Marte trade destinations that may make sense for the acquiring team and the Diamondbacks:
Pittsburgh Pirates
As close to an ideal match as you’ll find. The Pirates have signaled that they’re kinda-sorta open for business, but forays such as their reported offer to Kyle Schwarber will still land in the “lol sure” file of any self-respecting agent.
No, you have to plant a flag and build some credibility before making money moves – the Blue Jays are a fine example of all this – and the Pirates are a long way from that stage, assuming their perpetually penurious ownership group ever reaches it.
Enter Marte. He has six years and $102.5 million remaining on an extension he signed in April, a per annum that certainly fits the Pirates’ model (think if it as a Bryan Reynolds Jr.-type deal).
The Pirates finished last in runs scored but have some pitching to spare; the Diamondbacks lost Merrill Kelly at the trade deadline and are losing Zac Gallen. If Pittsburgh can expand a package beyond simply a salary swap that unloads the $55 million still due Mitch Keller, this one could work.
Seattle Mariners
What’s old is new, eh? The Mariners signed Marte out of the Dominican Republic in 2010 (Julio Rodriguez was just 9 years old at the time) and nurtured him into a big leaguer before dealing him to Arizona in a package headlined by Mitch Haniger and Jean Segura.
Now, the Mariners are in need of infield reinforcements. They could run it back a third time with Jorge Polanco, who came up clutch for them throughout the postseason. Or, they could burn some trade capital and welcome Marte back to the Pacific Northwest.
For one, it’s not like the Mariners have left their offensively deficient ways totally in the rear view. Re-signing Josh Naylor went a long way toward shoring that up, but the loss of Eugenio Suarez – he put up a .956 OPS in a seven-game ALCS – needs to be mitigated.
The Mariners have the pitching depth to deal from without disrupting their consensus top five, and a trove of middle infielders that could be viewed as eventual Marte replacements. We’ve heard baseball ops chief Jerry Dipoto likes to trade every now and then, too.
Detroit Tigers
These guys land in almost every one of these exercises, and that won’t change until they’ve built a World Series-friendly roster. For the same reason they’d be a good fit for Alex Bregman or any number of impact bats, Marte would represent a significant offensive upgrade – an everyday 145 adjusted OPS in the lineup.
In Comerica Park, he might not reach 36-homer heights as he did in 2024, but his 15.9% career strikeout rate would add a nice contact element in a lineup featuring Riley Greene (30.7% K rate in 2025) and Spencer Torkelson (26%). While there’s no obvious major league-ready piece that could come off Detroit’s roster and get shipped to Arizona, the Diamondbacks would be well-positioned to reinvest in the free agent market minus Marte.
Philadelphia Phillies
The kids grow up so fast these days, don’t they?
Believe it or not, Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott is just two seasons from free agency. Third baseman Alec Bohm hits the market after this season and has been a walking trade rumor the past couple years.
Acquiring Marte would help backfill against those losses and adding a switch-hitter to the Phillies lineup would protect against the club leaning too left- or right-handed in the future. It would also give the Phillies a potentially elite infield in the long term, with Bryce Harper at first, Marte at second, and Trea Turner and top prospect Aidan Miller on the left side of the diamond.
It just so happens the Diamondbacks have a vacancy at third base; adding Bohm might be a marriage of temporary convenience. Throw in one of the lefty relievers the Phillies may shop – such as Matt Strahm – and a starting pitching piece from the upper minors, and suddenly it’s a nice present and future deal for Arizona.
Toronto Blue Jays
Presumably, the Blue Jays’ reported due diligence on Marte revolves around a Bo Bichette departure. Perhaps the Jays are figuring on that, or simply realize it’s a possibility.
We’ll make that assumption for the sake of this exercise, as well. Marte would give the Blue Jays a fairly absurd top of the lineup, sandwiched between George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., while allowing Ernie Clement and Addison Barger to float between third base and the outfield, respectively.
In short, it’d create admirable depth in the short term and provide a much-needed bat for future seasons should Bichette and Springer depart in consecutive years. Would the Diamondbacks be interested in inheriting Jose Berríos’s contract from the pitching-rich Blue Jays and try to keep him healthy?
With a little financial assistance along with a few other assets, sure.