The Arizona Diamondbacks are two-thirds of the way through this season from hell. Once viewed as a potential contender in the NL West, Arizona has fallen by the wayside due to injuries. The pitching staff, once thought of as MLB's best, has been totally unreliable (or just unavailable). The vibes in the clubhouse are rotten and it's clear this front office has a lot of internal reflection to do next offseason.
Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro dropped a bombshell report on Friday, noting that Arizona plans to field trade offers for All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte this winter. Apparently some in the organization (but not all) are irked by Marte's tendency to request days off. He also took a vacation after All-Star Weekend, when his home was burglarized. That seems fine to me, but I don't run an MLB front office.
Today, Bob Nightengale of USA Today expanded on the situation.
"The D-backs won’t trade their three-time All-Star and NLCS MVP who has $92.5 million left on his contract after this season without getting fair value in return, but they’re also aware that he’ll become a 10-and-5 player early next season that gives him full no-trade rights," he writes.
Arizona trading their franchise cornerstone because he prioritizes a healthy work-life balance sounds like a mistake to me, but the door is open. FanSided's Chris Landers already outlined a few logical destinations in the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros.
Now, here are a few realistic landing spots that won't get talked about as much, for one reason or another, but could prove prescient.
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Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are up 8.5 games on second-place Cleveland in the AL Central, and a half-game behind Toronto for the best record in the American League. Their success has been a little bit choppier post-All-Star break, but this Tigers team is a bona fide contender, anchored by elite pitching and arguably the best manager in baseball.
We don't typically associate the Tigers with blockbuster trades. This is a front office hamstrung by its small-market mindset. There's a reason Tarik Skubal is almost definitely leaving for a new team in 2027. But, we have seen the Tigers slowly attempt to branch out and assert their presence in the AL landscape. Alex Bregman was almost a Tiger last offseason, at a price point far higher than Marte's $15-22 million annually over the next five years.
Detroit has an excellent farm system, chock full of middle infielders for Arizona to tab as Marte's replacement. Bryce Rainer (No. 4), Hao-Yu Lee (No. 7) and Max Anderson (No. 9) are all of significant talent and could be on the MLB roster within a couple years. The Tigers need a huge bat in the middle of the lineup to really level up. Marte fits the bill and he's on a great contract value-wise, even if age (and apparently "rest") are concerns long, long term.
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners have the deepest farm system in baseball, with nine top-100 prospects at MLB Pipeline, despite trading away a lot of capital at the deadline. It includes a lot of pitchers, which the Diamondbacks need the worst of ways. Kade Anderson (No. 2), their 2025 first-round pick, has frontline ace potential. Jurrangelo Cjintje (No. 8) can pitch from both sides of the mound. He'd be an instant favorite in Phoenix.
Seattle is locked in a tight battle for first place in the AL West with the big, bad wolf (Houston). Cal Raleigh is enjoying a historic offensive season at the plate and the M's always come with one of the top pitching staffs out there. The Mariners have been aggressive in back-to-back trade deadlines, proving that the front office is eager to finally get over the hump.
Both Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor were dealt from Arizona to Seattle last month, indicating a strong working relationship between both front offices. And yet, Suárez and Naylor are both free agents at season's end, which means the M's will be right back in the market this winter for a big bopper to anchor the lineup next to Raleigh. Marte sure fits the bill, and there's long-term equity there.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Life ain't fair, and nothing clarifies this immutable truth more than the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. While other front offices fret over tax bills and slyly dodge cap obligations, the Dodgers spend money left and right in an attempt to build MLB's most bulletproof roster. Injuries have kept the Dodgers in check this season, but there's no reason to believe Los Angeles' spending will subside in 2026, whether they win the World Series again or not.
The Dodgers also, somehow, have the best farm system in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. While it could benefit L.A. to keep their prospect pool deep in order to build sustainably around an older core, we know the Dodgers will always find ways to restock and replenish. So yes, we need to monitor the Dodgers as a viable landing spot for Marte, even if the Diamondbacks are sure to resist overtures from a division rival. Value is value, and there's a world in which the Dodgers are making the best offer.
Alex Freeland (No. 3) and Emil Morales (No. 7) both present compelling middle-infield options for Arizona to develop. The former is already with the MLB squad in L.A. and could produce in a big way right away for the Diamondbacks. Meanwhile, Jackson Ferris (No. 6), River Ryan (No. 9), and rookie Zachary Root (No. 14) are among the compelling pitching options for Arizona to consider. Ryan in particular has MLB experience and could provide immediate relief to a wounded rotation in 2026.