As we look ahead to what figures to be a busy offseason, several big names have stuck out as obvious trade candidates — from Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins to Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians to Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins to maybe even someone like Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. But now, out of nowhere, we might have to add another name to that list: Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte.
At least, we will if Friday's bombshell report from the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro is to be believed. On first glance, the D-backs would seem to have no interest in trading Marte, a three-time All-Star at a premium position who still has five more years of team control remaining on a very reasonable contract. But according to Piecoro, some in the organization — from coaches and executives to even Marte's own teammates — have started to sour on what they deem to be a "propensity to ask for days off".
The trouble apparently began late last year, when Marte's decision to sit out a game during the final week of the regular season rubbed some in the clubhouse the wrong way. "He also raised eyebrows when he said he needed a day off last month in the final game before the break, then was motoring around the bases in Atlanta on a double in the All-Star Game," Piecoro writes.
Even Marte requesting time off following the burglary of his house over All-Star Weekend came with some controversy. He wound up missing three games, but according to Piecoro, he spent most of the break in his native Dominican Republic rather than at home in Scottsdale.
Piecoro goes to great lengths to make clear that this is not the opinion of everyone in the D-backs organization, and that a trade of Marte is "unlikely". But he also notes that some have wondered whether Arizona would be better off without him, and where there's smoke, there's usually fire.
Which, if true, would be an incredible opportunity for rivals around the league. Who knows whether Marte really does come with off-field baggage, but his impact on the field is beyond dispute: We're talking about a player who's averaged four bWAR per season since 2018, and who will only make an average of $18 million a year through 2030 (with a player option in 2031). Every team could use a guy like that, but these three in particular should be banging down the D-backs' door.
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3. Houston Astros
At this point, it seems like the Astros would like to avoid putting Jose Altuve at second base on a full-time basis if they can avoid it. They could also desperately use another left-handed bat in the middle of their lineup. Marte wouldn't come cheap, but he would fit beautifully in the infield alongside Christian Walker, Jeremy Pena and Carlos Correa and offer some insurance in case Isaac Paredes' hamstring injury lingers.
Suddenly, Houston's core would be set, and their lineup would be among the deepest in baseball when you add Yordan Alvarez, Cam Smith and Yainer Diaz. It's unclear whether the Astros have the prospect capital to get a deal done, but they have lots of young pitching and could even toss in Paredes if need be.
2. Atlanta Braves
Hear me out here. Ozzie Albies has two team options for 2026 and 2027 at a more-than-reasonable $7 million each. But with the way he's hit so far this year, it's unclear whether Atlanta wants to continue to invest in him as its everyday second baseman. The Braves have precious few avenues toward significant upgrades ahead of 2026; most of their lineup is locked into long-term deals, after all. Moving Albies or Sean Murphy is just about the only option available to Alex Anthopoulos, and Marte would be one heck of a target.
At this point, it's an open question whether Albies gets back to being the significantly above-average bat he was earlier in his career. If the Braves could dangle, say, Murphy and Albies and a prospect or two, that would add just one more big bat to a lineup that already includes Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Drake Baldwin. This is the sort of big swing Atlanta needs to consider if it wants to get back into contention quickly.
1. New York Mets
The Mets need to have some uncomfortable conversations about the future of their infield, with Jeff McNeil entering his final guaranteed year of control in 2026 and none of Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio or Luisangel Acuña establishing themselves as everyday big leaguers just yet. There's no time to waste with Juan Soto in his prime, and this farm system absolutely has the goods to make a competitive offer for Marte.
Of course, New York will also have Pete Alonso's free agency to worry about, but Marte's team-friendly deal would make it easy for Steve Cohen to do both. We've seen just how top-heavy this lineup can be at times this year; the Mets need another bat to give them some length given how badly their young, homegrown talent has struggled, and Marte is far and away the best bat available at a position of real need.