For how much the position has plagued them since Dustin Pedroia’s health declined, the Boston Red Sox sure aren’t getting a lot of buzz about second base this offseason.
Perhaps that’s mostly do with the free-agent market heavily leaning toward corner infielders, as the Red Sox need a third baseman to replace Alex Bregman (possibly Bregman himself) and could supplant the oft-injured Triston Casas at first base as well. But that plan leaves another oft-injured player, rookie Marcelo Mayer, to take care of everyday second base duties.
If there’s only one second baseman available who could be a game-changer for Boston, though, it’s Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte, who has made each of the last two National League All-Star teams and finished third in Most Valuable Player voting in 2024.
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On Tuesday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale named the Red Sox as a team “on the radar” for a potential Marte trade, though he didn’t clarify whether that meant Boston had shown concrete interest or made any overtures toward Arizona so far this winter.
“The Diamondbacks continue to have operators standing by ready to field your phone calls,” Nightengale wrote. “They have told anyone and everyone they are willing to listen to offers for their All-Star second baseman, who signed a six-year, $116.5 million deal last spring with $46 million in deferred money.
“The D-backs want pitching, and lots of it, in return. … The Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays, who have plenty of pitching, are all on the radar.”
Rumblings of Marte’s off-field behavior drawing ire in Arizona have been prevalent since midseason, when rumors of his availability in trades first started to percolate. His contract truly isn’t all that expensive, and would likely give Boston the financial flexibility it needs to acquire another big bat, be it Bregman, Pete Alonso, or Kyle Schwarber.
If Marte truly is as available as Nightengale’s report makes him out to be, the Red Sox are undoubtedly intrigued. It would be somewhat ironic to acquire someone who’s been in the news cycle for clubhouse drama after dealing away Rafael Devers, but there’s always more nuance to these situations than we see from the outside.
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