5 Best Ketel Marte Landing Spots amid Diamondbacks Drama and Trade Rumors
Though Ketel Marte is the Arizona Diamondbacks' best player, it seems he is also a headache they might try to pass onto another team this winter.
An explosive report from Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic on Monday revealed the three-time All-Star has frustrated his teammates with his tendency to ask for and take days off. The club has since gone into damage-control mode, and a breakup may be next.
"While the Diamondbacks plan to listen to trade offers for Marte this winter," Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote on Tuesday, "they privately believe it's unlikely any team would offer a fair package in return for a three-time All-Star who's under contract for six more years for $92.5 million after this season."
Even if this doesn't guarantee the Diamondbacks will actually trade the 31-year-old this winter, that such a move will even be on the table says a lot about where he stands within the organization.
So, without further ado, let's get into assessing Marte's trade value and speculating on possible landing spots for him.
What Is Ketel Marte's Trade Value?
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As hard as it is to excuse Marte's fondness for days off, you can say this much about him: When he plays, he's one of the best there is.
His nine seasons with Arizona have been a smashing success, especially the last three. He ranks 11th among all position players with 15.8 rWAR, with an overall .899 OPS and a 162-game average of 36 home runs.
To boot, Marte has consistently rated as an above-average defender at second base. He's accumulated 12 Outs Above Average since 2023, good for seventh among all defenders at the keystone.
As Marte will turn 32 years old on October 12, he is on the wrong side of the aging curve. Yet there are no glaring signs that the end of his prime is nigh, so it's downright robbery that he is only guaranteed $15.4 million per year through 2030.
Baseball Trade Values estimates his surplus value at $96.4 million. Hypothetically, that makes him worth several top prospects, though it would stand to reason the D-backs would also want established major leaguers or MLB-ready talent in a trade. Though they held a fire sale at the deadline, the plan doesn't seem to be to rebuild, but rather to retool.
It would also make sense for the team to trade Marte sooner rather than later. Whereas he'll gain 10-and-5 rights early in 2026, he only has a five-team no-trade list for now.
The ideal landing spot for Marte is a win-now team seeking help on the infield this winter and has the assets to pull off a blockbuster.
After first touching on some honorable mentions, we'll rank five possibilities and pitch trades for each.
Note: Prospect rankings are according to MLB Pipeline.
Honorable Mentions
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Atlanta Braves
The Braves need to rethink their offense, and some sort of swap involving Marte and Ozzie Albies would be a decent foundation for a trade with the D-backs. However, the difficulty for Atlanta would be in adding enough young talent plus Albies to satisfy Arizona.
Boston Red Sox
Second base has been worth only 0.4 rWAR for the Red Sox, and they'll have a big hole to fill if/when Alex Bregman opts out of his contract. As far as solutions go, though, re-signing him and eventually handing the keystone back to Kristian Campbell is more straightforward.
Houston Astros
Now that Jose Altuve is no longer entrenched at second base for the Astros, the position has become home to nobody in 2025. A trade for Marte would fix that, but the problem is the Astros are short on high-end talent to offer Arizona.
Los Angeles Dodgers
As their farm system is ranked No. 1 by MLB Pipeline, the Dodgers do have the high-end talent to swing a deal for Marte. They also have cause to upgrade offensively at second base, where they have gotten a .643 OPS.
But would the D-backs really trade their best player to the de facto kings of the NL West? It's doubtful.
San Diego Padres
The Padres also have offensive shortcomings at second base, specifically with regard to the six home runs the position has produced all year. They're also an NL West rival, though, and their farm system doesn't go nearly as deep as the Dodgers'.
5. Milwaukee Brewers
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Why It's a Fit
Only the Chicago Cubs have gotten more rWAR from second base this season than the Brewers, which says a lot about the defense the former is getting from Nico Hoerner and the latter is getting from Brice Turang.
Yet even if the Brewers are outscoring the Cubs, it's Milwaukee that will be under more pressure to upgrade offensively this winter.
The Brewers have gotten really good at stringing baserunners together, but power production has been a problem for years. They have gone from ranking in the top three of the NL in home runs annually between 2017 and 2019 to no higher than seventh every year since.
This is where Marte would help, and the ramifications wouldn't merely concern the regular season. Lest anyone forget, the long ball is the key to surviving October.
Trade Proposal: Milwaukee Brewers get 2B Ketel Marte; Arizona Diamondbacks get 2B Brice Turang, C Jeferson Quero (Brewers No. 4), RHP Logan Henderson (Brewers No. 5)
Who Says No?
Probably Arizona.
It's a solid trade in a vacuum, but we know from their deadline dealing that the Diamondbacks see replenishing their pitching as the key to contending again in 2026. To this end, Henderson isn't Jacob Misiorowski, who is likely untouchable.
4. Seattle Mariners
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Why It's a Fit
Honestly, it's a fit in large part because Mike Hazen and Jerry Dipoto like trading with each other.
They've done nine trades in the last decade, and quite a few have been bangers. This includes the two most recent trades between the two front-office chiefs, which sent Josh Naylor and Eugenio José Suárez to Seattle ahead of the deadline.
They'll both be free agents this winter, though, and the Mariners will have several disadvantages in replacing their offense with star power from the free-agent market. For one, they operate on mid-market budgets; for two, T-Mobile Park is hitter-repellant.
A trade for Marte would allow them to circumvent these issues. Even by the Mariners' standards, his current contract is a steal. And unless he has Seattle on his no-trade list, he wouldn't be able to say no to a reunion.
Trade Proposal: Seattle Mariners get 2B Ketel Marte; Arizona Diamondbacks get RHP Logan Gilbert, 2B Cole Young, C Harry Ford (Mariners No. 4)
Who Says No?
Probably the Mariners.
This is a fair deal in the abstract, but there would be risk in swapping out an up-and-coming second baseman for an aging one. Further, trading Gilbert would mean doing something Dipoto has been reluctant to do: subtract from the rotation.
3. Cincinnati Reds
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Why It's a Fit
Compared to the Reds, only the Colorado Rockies have gotten less rWAR from second base in 2025. And if you're doing something almost as badly as the 2025 Rockies, that's not good.
And yet, to hone in on Matt McLain as the problem in the Reds lineup would be to miss the point. It's a weak lineup from top to bottom, with only Elly De La Cruz providing anything approximating star power.
Like with the Mariners, the Reds are unlikely to find their salvation on the open market. They have never spent more than $64 million on a single free agent, which is only $13 million more than what Juan Soto is earning annually.
Assuming even the Reds wouldn't be scared off by Marte's contract, here's another reason why they should covet him on the trade market: He has a 1.062 OPS at Great American Ball Park for his career.
Trade Proposal: Cincinnati Reds get 2B Ketel Marte; Arizona Diamondbacks get RHP Chase Burns, C Alfredo Duno (Reds No. 3)
Who Says No?
Probably the Reds.
They actually have enough pitching to be able to spare Burns, but being able to and wanting to are very different things. As disappointing as it is to see him with a 5.24 ERA as a rookie, he has legitimate No. 1 potential as a starting pitcher.
2. Detroit Tigers
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Why It's a Fit
Only two teams have gotten a higher OPS from second base than the Tigers, so it's fair to say it's been a successful comeback for Gleyber Torres.
Alas, the 28-year-old will be a free agent again in the offseason. And while he and the Tigers could get back together again, this feels like a situation where Detroit would be wise to let someone else buy high on his stock.
Given the cleanliness of their long-term books, the Tigers may be able to go after really big fish such as Kyle Tucker or Alex Bregman. But if they'd rather save money for extensions for Tarik Skubal and Riley Greene, they'd be better off leveraging their deep farm system in a blockbuster deal.
A move for Marte would fit the bill, and he would instantly become the Tigers' top power threat.
Trade Proposal: Detroit Tigers get 2B Ketel Marte; Arizona Diamondbacks get RHP Reese Olson, 2B Jace Jung, OF Max Clark (Tigers No. 2)
Who Says No?
Probably the Tigers.
They can afford to spare Olson and Jung, but Clark is different. Even if he's only Detroit's No. 2 prospect behind shortstop Kevin McGonigle, he's MLB Pipeline's No. 9 overall prospect by way of plus hitting, running, throwing and fielding tools. He's even coming into some power, thus teasing true five-tool potential.
1. New York Mets
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Why It's a Fit
It's pitching that has been slowing the Mets down recently, but the surprising shallowness of their lineup has been an issue all year.
Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo have been a rock-solid foursome, and Jeff McNeil and Starling Marte have had nice bounce-back years. And yet, the Mets are barely above average in scoring at 4.49 runs per game.
They have no reason not to seek another big bopper this winter, and doubly so if Alonso opts out of his contract. And given Kyle Tucker and Soto play the same position, a move for the Cubs star would be complicated.
So, why not trade for Marte instead? He'd have to cool it with his off-days act in order to survive the New York pressure cooker, but there's no question he'd turn the heart of the Mets' order into the envy of the NL East.
Trade Proposal: New York Mets get 2B Ketel Marte; Arizona Diamondbacks get OF Carson Benge (Mets No. 1), SS Jett Williams (Mets No. 2), RHP Jonah Tong (Mets No. 4)
Who Says No?
Probably the Mets.
Even if they were sold on Marte's ability to handle New York, this trade would basically blow up their farm system at a time when they really do need to be thinking long-term. Their current core is strong, but only Soto isn't getting up there in age.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
