The MLB offseason is often the craziest of all the major sports, with a flurry of high-priced signings and blockbuster trades a yearly inevitability.

Free agency is always the basis for most of the major moves, but a handful of franchise-changing players, while highly coveted, still find their way into trade discussions every year, and 2025 is no different. With All-Stars including Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, Minnesota Twins and Cincinnati Reds’ aces Joe Ryan and Hunter Greene, and Miami Marlins’ starter Sandy Alcantara headlining this cycle of trade rumors, a chaotic offseason is almost guaranteed.

A new name has begun to be floated among league circles, after briefly being talked about last season as a trade candidate: Arizona Diamondbacks’ three-time All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte.

USA Today writer and top MLB insider Bob Nightengale published a piece on Monday morning that included Marte’s potential availability, and certainly made it seem like an eventual trade is more likely than once expected.

“The Diamondbacks will ask for a lot in return [for Marte],” Nightengale said. “But they are definitely motivated in moving him with $71 million remaining through 2030.”

The Philadelphia Phillies are annually right in the middle of the offseason rumor mill when it comes to the top players on the market, and Marte offers the club an opportunity to make a massive splash. The 32-year-old is coming off a third consecutive 4.0-WAR season in 2025 and would be a substantial upgrade to an offense that has repeatedly let down its elite pitching staff in the postseason.

If Marte is truly available for trade, the Phillies should send a full-court press for his services and do everything possible to bring the superstar to Philadelphia.

Ketel Marte is an absolute gamechanger, plain and simple.

The Ketel was hot.

Ketel Marte has won his second career Silver Slugger Award! pic.twitter.com/RUT7sDLQZ5

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) November 6, 2025

It doesn’t take much thinking to create an argument for why the Phillies should trade for a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger on an affordable contract. The thought of a potential lineup beginning with Trea Turner, Marte, Bryce Harper, and Kyle Schwarber (assuming he is retained in free agency) should cause every Phillies fan to salivate at the sheer possibility of said scenario becoming a reality.

Arizona isn’t going to part with him for cheap, that is for certain. However, that should be an obstacle that the Phillies are more than willing to overcome to acquire the second baseman. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski has never been afraid to deal prospects (and at times proven MLB players) to raise the ceiling of his roster, with this pattern emerging as recently as the 2025 trade deadline when he moved two top prospects for closer Jhoan Duran.

In terms of untouchables, the Philadelphia brass has been unwilling to include their #1 and #2 prospects, SP Andrew Painter and 3B Aidan Miller, in any previous trade negotiations. It’s likely that the Diamondbacks at least begin discussions by asking for one of the two, and it might be beneficial for Dombrowski to ease up his grip on his prized prospects.

Adding Marte would give the Phillies three perennial All-Stars in their infield, with every one of them tenured for at least the next five seasons.

Bryson Stott’s defense has done enough to make him an everyday player, but issues with his offensive development have hindered the back half of the Phillies lineup that desperately needs a boost in the power department. 3B Alec Bohm has put together a few solid seasons, but with subpar home run production continuing and his contract concluding after the 2026 season, his future in Philadelphia is far from guaranteed.

Frankly, the Phillies need to go after Ketel Marte hard this offseason and stay on the offensive until he’s donning the red pinstripes on Opening Day.

Very few players in the organization should be off the table for a cost-controlled, proven superstar, and if the Phillies are serious about finally bringing home another World Series championship, they need to get uncomfortable and bring one of MLB’s premier players to Philadelphia.