The have been a few notable trades and smaller contracts dished out in the weeks following the World Series, but on the eve of Thanksgiving, the MLB offseason officially got rolling.
The first high-end free agent is off the board, as the Toronto Blue Jays have signed Dylan Cease to an enormous seven-year, $210 million contract.
BREAKING 🚨 The Blue Jays are signing Dylan Cease to 7-year, $210M deal per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/pAjX5eYYAT
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 26, 2025
The inner machinations of MLB free agency, and the offseason in general, can be slow-moving, but expect things to really pick up in the coming weeks and months.
On the trading block, one of the names to look out for is Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte.
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After making an unprecedented run to the World Series just a few years back, the Diamondbacks could be tearing things down to some degree ahead of the 2026 MLB season.
The Diamondbacks have underperformed in each of the last two years, and they’re knocking down their 2026 payroll as a result.
This has been a key reason why Ketel Marte has been pegged as a trade candidate, and it’s recently been reported that Arizona is “actively listening” to offers for him.
With Marte seemingly up for grabs, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer has predicted that he will be traded to the Seattle Mariners this offseason.
“He also just plain represents a sell-high candidate, as he’s 32 years old and is about to gain 10-and-5 rights next April… The ideal trade for the D-backs is one that would bring back established or MLB-ready talent for a rotation that badly needs help, plus a right-handed bat who could play one of the corner infield spots,” wrote Rymer.
Should The Mariners Trade For Ketel Marte?
As Rymer notes, the price to acquire Marte won’t be cheap, but considering his defensive versatility, offensive production, and contract, it would be worth it. That’s especially true for a team like the Mariners, who were on the precipice of a World Series berth last season.
In regard to Marte’s fit in the Mariners’ lineup, they can certainly make that work.
The hope was that Cole Young would be the team’s everyday second baseman, but after a lackluster rookie season, he can certainly be displaced. Marte can take over for Young, and the Mariners wouldn’t blink twice.
Now, trading for a player who’s set to enter their age-32 season comes with some risk, but the Mariners are positioned to win now. Injecting a player into the lineup who’s hit 25-plus home runs in three consecutive seasons can certainly be the move that gets them over the hump.
Obviously, it all comes down to cost, but if the trade package is reasonable and the Mariners are going to be aggressive in capitalizing on this championship window, this is a move they should make.
Ketel Marte Stats
Marte delivered another strong season in 2025 and was named to his second consecutive All-Star Game in the process.
2025 Stats:
126 GP
4.4 WAR
.283 BA
.376 OBP
.517 SLG
28 HR
72 RBI
83 K