With Christmas rapidly approaching, MLB teams are hard at work trying to give their fan bases something to get excited about. Whether it's a big signing or a trade, all 30 teams should have at least one more big move in them.
Things have stagnated a bit in free agency, but the same cannot be said about the trade market, as we saw with the Willson Contreras trade. The latest MLB rumors cover yet another possible trade between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, and two of the biggest names available on the trade block, Ketel Marte and Luis Robert Jr.
Reds looking to make splash by acquiring Luis Robert Jr.
The Cincinnati Reds made headlines by entering the Kyle Schwarber sweepstakes, but their bid fell short of what the slugger was asking for, and other than adding to their bullpen, the Reds haven't done much to improve their roster. That could change in an instant, though, as the Reds have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Luis Robert Jr., according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
"More than a year after trade talks went nowhere for center fielder Luis Robert Jr., sources say the Cincinnati Reds have re-engaged talks with the Chicago White Sox on the former All-Star who has struggled with injuries and more recent performance issues," Wittenmyer wrote.
As Wittenmyer noted, this isn't the first time the Reds have asked the Chicago White Sox about Robert. They've needed a power-hitting outfielder for quite a while, and Robert, a player who has hit as many as 38 home runs in a single season, certainly fits the bill on that front.
As great a fit as Robert is on paper, there's a reason a trade hasn't happened, though. Robert has played more than 110 games just once in five seasons (excluding the shortened 2020 season) and ever since his big breakout in 2023, Robert has an 84 wRC+, making him roughly 16 percent below league average as a hitter. Everyone knows the talent is there, and a change of scenery should do him wonders, but he simply hasn't hit much in recent years.
Despite this, and despite the fact that he's set to make $20 million in 2026, the White Sox are evidently asking for more in return than any team is comfortable giving up. Robert is an excellent defender, has elite speed, and has outstanding offensive potential, but we've only seen him put it all together once in his career. It's a lot to ask for a Reds team on a clearly-defined budget to meet the asking price for Robert, knowing his durability concerns and how much money he makes.
Still, the fact that they've continued to express interest suggest that there's a real chance this does go down at some point. If the White Sox are willing to eat some of his salary, the Reds should be willing to give up something decent of value to acquire a player as dynamic when healthy as Robert.
Red Sox could make biggest trade yet with Cardinals
The Boston Red Sox are one of two teams to not sign a single free agent to a big league deal this winter (the Colorado Rockies are the other), but to Craig Breslow's credit, he's been active on the trade market. He swung a deal for Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates, and has acquired Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras in separate deals with Chaim Bloom and the St. Louis Cardinals. According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon ($), another deal between those two teams could be in store, and this one would be the biggest yet.
"The Cardinals and Red Sox also have discussed a trade that would send infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan to Boston, according to people briefed on the conversations. Donovan likely would play second base for the Red Sox, who have also been linked to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote.
As fun as it'd be to see the Red Sox and Cardinals make another trade, this time involving St. Louis' best player, Brendan Donovan, it'd be hard to justify from a Red Sox perspective. Sure, Donovan is an outstanding player and is worthy of all the interest he's generating on the trade block, but is he really a fit with this Red Sox team?
Not only is he yet another left-handed hitter, but Donovan is more of a singles and doubles hitter who puts the ball into play a lot but doesn't hit for much power. Donovan launched 10 home runs in 2025 and has never hit more than 14 home runs in a single season. Is that really what the Red Sox need?
After trading Rafael Devers away, the Red Sox really struggled to hit for power. They only had two players clear the 20-home run mark this past season, and Trevor Story's 25 long balls led the team. Contreras helps in the power department a bit, but the Red Sox have still yet to come close to replacing Devers' power production. Ketel Marte might cost more and might not be the defender Donovan is, but he'd also be a game-changer in the lineup. As good as Donovan is, I can't say the same about him.
It makes sense that the Cardinals are interested in sending Donovan to Beantown, given Chaim Bloom's familiarity with the Red Sox's farm system, but the Donovan fit on the Red Sox just isn't as clear as it is with many other teams around the league.
Why Braves don't make sense as Ketel Marte landing spot
Ketel Marte's name appearing on the trade block has all 30 fan bases interested. I mean, this is the best second baseman in the game we're talking about here. For the Atlanta Braves in particular, Marte makes a lot of sense on paper. Not only would he make an already stout lineup when healthy nightmarish, but his contract ($102.5 million for six years) is an absolute bargain. There isn't a team with more team-friendly contracts than Atlanta.
Marte would be a massive upgrade over Ozzie Albies, and Albies could even be an intriguing piece in Arizona's minds, given his cheap contract and strong second half from this past season. However, as Rosenthal and Sammon note, the Diamondbacks seek young pitching in any Marte deal. That's where this trade possibility becomes harder to envision.
"Albies could go back to the Diamondbacks in any trade for Marte, but the Braves also would need to include young pitching. After all the injuries they incurred in their rotation last season, they do not want to part with Hurston Waldrep, who could be their No. 5 starter. They also are reluctant to move any of their better pitching prospects when Chris Sale is turning 37 in the final year of his contract, Spencer Strider is growing more expensive and Reynaldo López is under club control for only two more seasons," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote.
The Braves have young pitching they could conceivably trade, from Hurston Waldrep to prospects Cam Caminiti and JR Ritchie, but it also makes sense that they'd be reluctant to trade their young pitching, given the team's recent injury history, Chris Sale's age, and just how valuable starting pitching is.
Alex Anthopoulos should never be ruled out when it comes to acquiring a star on a team-friendly contract, but it feels more likely that the Diamondbacks will get what they're looking for in a Marte deal from another team.