MLB Trade Rumors: Latest on Whit Merrifield, Starling Marte, Robbie Ray

As the month of November winds to a close, the MLB hot stove remains at a low simmer, but it's only a matter of time before the temperature rises.

The annual winter meetings will bring a flurry of activity and fresh rumors, as always. In the meantime, there are some interesting tidbits worth dissecting from a trade market that could be busy.

Ahead, we've rounded up the latest significant trade news surrounding a trio of players who could make a real difference as offseason additions.

Diamondbacks open to moving Robbie Ray?

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have pulled off a pair of blockbuster trades in the past calendar year, sending Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals last December before flipping Zack Greinke to the Houston Astros in July.

While it remains unlikely the team will blow things up and fully rebuild, it could continue to shop short-term assets, and at the top of that list this year is left-hander Robbie Ray.

Ray, 28, is entering his final year of arbitration and projected to earn $10.8 million, according to MLBTradeRumors.

While he has endured some ups and downs in recent years, his ability to miss bats should be appealing to anyone looking to upgrade the starting rotation.

Since the start of the 2016 season, Ray has racked up 836 strikeouts in 634.1 innings, good for an 11.9 K/9 rate that ranks third in baseball among pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched during that span.

Last season, he went 12-8 with a 4.34 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a career-high 235 strikeouts in 174.1 innings.

For teams unable to afford Gerrit Cole and unwilling to commit significant years to guys like Madison Bumgarner and Zack Wheeler, Ray should represent an appealing alternative.

Mets interested in Starling Marte

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After a disastrous 2019 season that led to a gutting of both the front office and the coaching staff, more change is likely coming for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

If they decide to sell aggressively this winter, center fielder Starling Marte looks like the most obvious trade chip on the roster, and teams are already showing interest.

Amid the rubble of a 93-loss season, Marte put together his second straight 20-20 campaign, hitting .295/.342/.503 for a 120 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 23 home runs and 25 steals.

The 31-year-old has been a consistent threat for the Pirates since breaking out with a 5.2-WAR season in 2013, back when he was still manning left field.

Over the past seven seasons, his 28.2 WAR ranks fifth among outfielders, trailing only Mike Trout (61.5), Mookie Betts (42.0), Christian Yelich (33.6) and Lorenzo Cain (33.2).

The Mets have plenty of outfield options, including Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo and a potentially healthy Yoenis Cespedes, while infielders Dominic Smith, Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis also saw time in the grass in 2019.

However, no one from that group is a natural fit in center field, so it makes sense that the Mets would be in the market for help at the position.

Cubs showing "continued interest" in Whit Merrifield

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Most expect the Chicago Cubs to make significant changes to the roster on the heels of a disappointing 84-78 season that saw them finish third in the NL Central and miss the postseason.

While upgrading the starting rotation figures to be the No. 1 priority, the team is also once again showing interest in a certain Kansas City Royals infielder, according to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com:

"Chicago is showing 'continued interest' in trading for Merrifield, who just completed the first season of the four-year, $16.25 million extension he signed with Kansas City at the beginning of 2019. Merrifield remains cheap even after signing that extension (he'll make $5 million in ’20), and the Cubs could be in the market for a middle infielder to slot next to Javier Baez."

The purse strings are tightening in Chicago as the homegrown core becomes increasingly expensive. Merrifield holds significant appeal thanks to the three years and $14.9 million left on his contract, along with a team-friendly $6.7 million club option for 2023.

As noted, Merrifield would slot nicely alongside Baez up the middle, and the Cubs have a hole to fill at the keystone with Ben Zobrist's impending departure in free agency and Addison Russell likely to be non-tendered.

A late bloomer who didn't become an MLB regular until his age-28 season, Merrifield has led the majors in hits each of the past two seasons. He was an All-Star for the first time in 2019, hitting .302/.348/.463 with 206 hits, 67 extra-base hits, 20 steals and 105 runs scored.

He's the traditional, table-setting leadoff hitter the Cubs have been lacking since Dexter Fowler left town, and he could be a transformative addition to their offense if the front office is willing to pay a steep asking price.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.