6 MLB Trade Offers the Dbacks Would Accept For Ketel Marte

Every season, the Major League Baseball offseason churns out some crazy trade hypotheticals.

However, when USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are “motivated in moving” All-Star Ketel Marte. That catches your attention.

At the start of the 2025 season, Arizona extended Marte for $116.5 million through 2031. The extension happening wasn’t shocking, but the average annual value coming in under $19.5 million was.

Seven months later, they’re motivated to move on from him.

It does the player a disservice to speculate on the reason for this potential outcome. However, it’s hard not to so soon after this agreement. When the two parties put ink on the paper, you’d assume Marte’s career would end in Arizona.

But not so fast.

Injuries remain a part of the switch-hitter’s rap sheet, but he’s one of the best hitters in the game every year. At 32, Marte is coming off consecutive seasons with a 145 or better wRC+ for the first time in his career. The 2025 campaign was also his third-straight exceeding four wins above replacement (FanGraphs).

A player of the caliber of Marte is hard to assess value for several reasons. His age is just the tip of the iceberg, but his contract is very plug-and-playable.

It’s hard to deduce when decline will hit Marte, or even how long we can refer to him as a second baseman. In recent seasons, his metrics have improved, but at what point does preserving his body outweigh maximizing his value when out there?

Nevertheless, those are questions that his next employer will have to answer. But who has the assets to swing such a deal?

Baltimore Orioles

Contrary to the step back at the MLB level in 2025, the Orioles have the framework of a great team already in place. There’s established star power in the lineup already with Gunnar Henderson and the emerging talents of Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, and Samuel Basallo.

They’re an Adley Rutschman rebound away from being very good offensively, and another bat away from being great.

Marte’s contract is especially appealing for a team like Baltimore. Though historically not averse to spending, they haven’t spent much since the Chris Davis extension. In fact, the only eight-figure player on their roster is outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who played just 54 games in 2025.

Potential Trade Package: 3B/1B Coby Mayo, OF Dylan Beavers (JB Orioles’ No. 3 prospect), and RHP Trey Gibson (No. 2)

Trey Gibson, the right-hander who went undrafted in 2023, is on the precipice of the majors after a dominant showing in 2025. He won Baltimore’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award, striking out 32.3% of batters while walking just 8.6 percent.

The elevation in command is equally impressive to the rise in strikeouts in 2025. He features a fastball that reaches the upper-90s, with secondary offerings that look like potential out pitches at the MLB level.

The D-backs have some intrigue in their rotation with right-handers Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt. However, with Zac Gallen a free agent, Gibson replenishes the pitching corps with a fresh six years of team control.

As for Mayo, it’s no mystery that Arizona is searching for offense on its infield. After trading Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez before they hit free agency, the D-Backs opened up some big holes on the infield.

Mayo is a change-of-scenery candidate that could fill that void at either third or first base. Meanwhile, Dylan Beavers could slide right into the D-backs outfield next to Corbin Carroll.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox have a concept of their immediate future middle infield with Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer. However, there’s uncertainty surrounding the retention of third baseman Alex Bregman.

Marte, of course, is not a third baseman, but Mayer stabilized the position in Bregman’s absence in 2025 with +2 outs above average. While his bat lagged behind a bit, and he was utilized as a platoon player mostly, he posted 11 extra-base hits and a 94 wRC+ in his final 101 plate appearances.

Though more uncertainty surrounds Boston at first base, the Red Sox have not had a second baseman near Marte’s caliber since the days of Dustin Pedroia.

Potential Trade Package: OF Wilyer Abreu, RHPs Luis Perales and David Sandlin

The Red Sox have a positional surplus in the outfield, with four everyday players covering three spots. As a result, they can afford to move off of a guy like Wilyer Abreu and not really bat an eye.

Publicly, the perception is that Jarren Duran is the likelier trade candidate, but Abreu very well could be moved too, and he comes with an additional year of control.

Abreu has some experience as a center fielder but is a two-time Gold Glove winner in Fenway Park’s difficult right field. He has pull-side power, displaying annual improvements in Pull Air rate, and has a very solid grasp of the strike zone.

Additionally, he’s 26 years old and arbitration-eligible through 2030, still pre-arb for the 2026 season.

As for Perales and Sandlin, both come with explosive fastballs that have recorded velocities in the triple digits. Perales is already on the 40-man roster, and his recovery timeline from elbow surgery had him knocking on the door of the big leagues in September.

Sandlin was just added to the 40-man to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft.

Nevertheless, there are jobs to be won in Arizona’s pitching staff. In 2025, its rotation ranked 19th in ERA, with the bullpen 27th. Perales and Sandlin come with minor-league options and potential immediate big-league impact.

Seattle Mariners

A reunion this winter makes for a fun storyline, but Seattle has an opening at second base.

While Jorge Polanco played the majority of his games at designated hitter, his presence in the lineup is in jeopardy as he’s a free agent. Replacing him would be difficult, unless Seattle is among the teams kicking the tires on Bo Bichette.

Among primary second basemen, behind Polanco, with Gleyber Torres accepting the qualifying offer, it drops off to Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Adam Frazier.

Marte is the best second baseman available, and, for a team that came so close to baseball immortality, Seattle makes a lot of sense for his services (again).

Potential Trade Package: IF Cole Young, RHPs Emerson Hancock and Ryan Sloan (JB’s No. 3 Mariners prospect)

Young played 77 games for Seattle in 2025 but struggled to hit big-league pitching. His command of the strike zone is fantastic — 16.4% walk rate after the All-Star Break — but he hit .162 with five extra-base hits across his final 128 plate appearances.

He’s also a work in progress defensively, as he posted -9 OAA in 621 defensive innings at second base.

The prize of this deal for Arizona is Sloan, who looked really polished in his first year of pro ball. Across two levels, he walked just 4.5% of opposing hitters.

Sloan’s fastball reaches the upper-90s, and he has an advanced feel for his changeup at 19 years old. He’s also a physical specimen, standing at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds.

While conceivably multiple years away from the majors, he’d instantly headline the D-backs’ prospect pool for pitchers.

New York Mets

A team unafraid of making splashes, the New York Mets are a team needing to improve on a disappointing finish to 2025.

Second base is definitely an avenue they can improve, even if not the biggest glaring need. Jeff McNeil and Brett Baty churned out 1.9 fWAR in 128 games at second base, while hovering around league-average offense.

However, McNeil turns 34 in April and hasn’t quite been the same player since his 140 wRC+ in 2022.

With superstars Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto already in the lineup, the pressure is on in Queens to deliver a winner in the next few seasons. Given his age and contract, Marte fits right into that window.

Potential Trade Package: RHP Jonah Tong (JB’s No. 3 Mets prospect), SS Jett Williams (No. 5), and 1B/OF Ryan Clifford (No. 7)

Williams struggled in 34 games at Triple-A in 2025 but saw an uptick in power output. Overall, he’s mashed the baseball across his minor league career and could immediately slide into the everyday infield for the D-backs alongside All-Star Geraldo Perdomo.

As for Tong, he flashed some brilliance in five big-league starts last year but also battled command and home run troubles. He rocks a 70-grade fastball with a deceptive delivery, creating an uncomfortable at-bat for the opposition.

Congruent with Arizona’s need for arms, Tong would also headline that young corps and potentially crack the Opening Day rotation.

Clifford is a sleeper, as he’s more of a three-true-outcomes bat. Last season, he hit .237 between Double-A and Triple-A but hit 29 home runs and reached base at a .356 clip. His power is a weapon; he could eventually replace what Arizona lost by trading Suarez. That said, he’s already striking out a lot in the minors, albeit improved in 2025.

There’s also uncertainty about where his home is on the field. The bulk of his starts were at first base in Double-A, but he saw an uptick in frequency at corner outfield when he got to Syracuse.

Cincinnati Reds

Early offseason reports indicate the Reds are hungry to add to their lineup this winter and may float a starting pitcher as a trade chip to acquire it.

In 2025, the Reds ranked tied 24th in team wRC+ at second base as Matt McLain posted a .218/.294/.341 slash line there in 135 games. As a team, they also ranked tied for 24th in wRC+ despite Elly De La Cruz, TJ Friedl, and Austin Hays all being productive.

Potential Trade Package: RHP Hunter Greene, IF Matt McLain, and 1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand

Power plays in the rotation, even if certain ballparks yield challenges to certain pitchers.

Greene is as nasty as they come, despite a seemingly constant battle with staying on the field. The right-hander is only 26 and is controlled through at least 2028.

He features a fastball that averaged 99.5 mph in 2025. He also has a wipeout slider, which had a 46.9% whiff rate and a .156 batting average against.

As far as assets go, he’s among, if not the best, Arizona can get back for Marte.

Moreover, McLain and Encarnacion-Strand make up the rest of this package. The former was awesome as a rookie in 2023 but missed all of 2024 with a torn labrum. He struggled mightily in his return to MLB, but the former first-round pick finished top five for Rookie of the Year for a reason.

Encarnacion-Strand hasn’t found the same success he had in 2023 either, but he is a right-handed bat with power.

Atlanta Braves

The 2025 season brought forth unfamiliar territory to Atlanta, as the Braves missed the postseason for the first time since 2017.

Everything that could go wrong, went wrong for the Braves. Ronald Acuna Jr. dealt with injuries, as did Austin Riley, Sean Murphy, Chris Sale, and many others.

While it’s odd to think of the Braves looking to upgrade second base, it’s certainly an area of concern as the offseason begins. Longtime staple Ozzie Albies struggled in 2025 after battling injuries in 2024. The 28-year-old has a club option for 2027, but this is his last guaranteed season on his deal. It’s not out of the realm of possibility for Atlanta to prepare for life after Albies.

Potential Trade Package: 2B Ozzie Albies, RHP JR Ritchie, LHP Cam Caminiti, and OF Diego Tornes

In addition to Albies, the Diamondbacks acquire two top arms in Ritchie and Caminiti. Again, this is a clear organizational need for Arizona.

Ritchie had Tommy John Surgery in 2023 and came back for 12 outings in 2024. Then, this past season, he was very effective across three levels and is now seated in Triple-A, where he posted a 3.02 ERA in 11 starts. His fastball topped out around 97 mph in 2025 and, with a slight improvement in command, could emerge as an effective starter in MLB as soon as next season.

As for Caminiti, his strikeout stuff is second to none. Last year, he struck out north of 30% of batters at 18 years old.

The southpaw is a native of Arizona, drafted out of Saguaro High School in the first round back in 2024. He finished last season in A-Ball, where he posted a 2.08 ERA in 13 starts.

His fastball can run up to 98 mph, and at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, he’s got a nice frame to add strength and potentially another tick.

Tornes is a wild card but posted a .395 on-base with 24 steals in 32 Dominican Summer League games in 2025. He hasn’t showcased any power professionally yet, but he’s just 17 years old.