These Ketel Marte trade suitors have the best farm systems: Phillies in big trouble

The Arizona Diamondbacks keep insisting that they're in no rush to trade star second baseman Ketel Marte, but the more this MLB offseason goes along, the more smoke there is that suggests a fire in the desert. The latest report, courtesy of Jon Morosi, confirms that the Snakes are in fact listening on Marte, and that two teams in particular stand out: the Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners.

(We also know that the Pirates are interested, though Pittsburgh is on Marte's five-team no-trade list at the moment, so take that with a grain of salt.)

Morosi also adds that Arizona, above all, wants cost-controlled pitching that's near MLB-ready, as you'd expect from a team that just lost Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly to free agency and watched Corbin Burnes undergo Tommy John surgery. But which team is best positioned to meet that need? Since a Marte deal is apparently not going away any time soon, we decided to look at each potential suitor's farm system to find a match.

Unfortunately, the answer wouldn't seem to be Philadelphia, unless the D-backs are really enamored with Andrew Painter. The Phillies have arguably the thinnest farm system in the sport right now, with virtually nothing in the way of pitching to add behind Painter in a potential deal. And when you look at who else might enter the bidding, that's a problem.

1. Pittsburgh Pirates

Best trade chip: RHP Bubba Chandler

The Pirates have arguably the deepest farm system this side of Los Angeles, headlined by No. 1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin. But while Griffin seems like a future five-tool star, what really sets Pittsburgh apart here is their wealth of young pitching talent. Chandler gets the nod here thanks to his scintillating audition in the Majors late last season, but there are also well-regarded prospects like Hunter Barco and 2025 top-10 pick Seth Hernandez.

Sure, Hernandez was in high school this time last year, but he's about as polished as a prep righty can be. And if the Pirates need more ammo to get a deal done, there's also a name like Jared Jones, who may not be a prospect but certainly fits what Arizona's looking for.

2. Seattle Mariners

Best trade chip: LHP Kade Anderson

I listed Anderson here because he figures to be a fast riser, a standout at LSU who offers a high floor that made him the No. 3 overall pick in this past summer's draft. But for as fun as Anderson is, he might not even be the best pitching prospect in this system: Ryan Sloan likely won't beat Anderson to the Majors, but the 19-year-old righty has a sky-high ceiling thanks to a crackling fastball to go with a potentially plus changeup and slider.

That's two pitching prospects who are among the most exciting in baseball, each of whom could headline a return package for a star player. And we haven't even gotten to big-league pieces like Emerson Hancock, as Seattle has a wealth of homegrown depth.

3. Boston Red Sox

Best trade chip: LHP Connelly Early

Boston doesn't have quite the depth of the two teams ahead of it on this list, but what they lack in quantity (an issue they tried to address in a pitching-heavy 2025 draft class) they make up for with quality at the top. Both Early (2.33 ERA, 29 Ks in 19 innings) and fellow lefty Payton Tolle broke into the Majors this past season, and while the transition was bumpy at times, both showed exactly why they're considered exciting prospects.

The two could both develop into No. 2 or No. 3 starters sooner rather than later, and while they're about it when it comes to top-end, MLB-ready pitching in this system, names like Luis Perales and David Sandlin represent quality depth. Add in other pieces like Kristian Campbell or even Jarren Duran, and you might have something.

4. Toronto Blue Jays

Best trade chip: LHP Johnny King

It wasn't long ago that this was generally regarded as a mediocre farm system, and then the 2024 draft happened. Trey Yesavage is now a folk hero in Toronto, Khal Stephen fetched Shane Bieber in a deadline deal and third-rounder Johnny King shot up prospect rankings after posting a 2.48 ERA with a 15.3 K/9 across two levels this year.

Yesavage isn't going anywhere, but King is a fascinating case, a fast riser rapidly making good on the upside his 6-foot-4 frame and elite athleticism suggested. And we haven't even touched on fellow lefty Ricky Tiedemann, who seemed ticketed for stardom before arm injuries derailed his ascent. It might be hard for the Jays to cobble together enough slam-dunk pitching talent to convince Arizona, but you can't count them out, especially if Tiedemann still has some believers.

5. Cincinnati Reds

Best trade chip: RHP Rhett Lowder

Let's be real: If Cincy calls up the D-backs asking for Marte, Arizona is asking for Chase Burns in return. But Burns is no longer prospect eligible after a sensational MLB debut this past year, so we'll put him aside for a moment and focus on a couple of other righties in what's become a pretty average Reds system. (That's what happens when you graduate the players Cincy has in recent years.)

Before injuries wiped out his 2025 campaign, Lowder was on track to become a rock-solid mid-rotation starter, with sterling command and pitchability and a nasty changeup to rely on. He looked the part during a brief MLB cameo in 2024, and assuming he's healthy come spring, he'll be ready for a spot in a big-league rotation. That could be in Arizona, if the Reds are willing to include potential Marte replacements like No. 1 prospect Sal Stewart or No. 3 prospect Tyson Lewis.