PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have options on the trade market this offseason for improving their offense, including one of the top players in the sport the past two seasons.
Pirates Named Trade Fit for Ketel Marte
Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN ranked the top 25 MLB players that could be traded this offseason and looked at their fits.
They placed Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte as their second best potentially traded player and named the Pirates as their top fit.
McDaniel and Passan also named five other teams as potentitial fits in the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Athletics and the New York Mets.
What the Pirates Would Get in Ketel Marte
The Pirates landing Marte would serve as an incredibly impressive move, as there haven’t been many better hitters in baseball than him the past two seasons.
Ketel Marte
2024
2025
Batting Average
.292
.283
On-Base Percentage
.372
.376
Slugging Percentage
.360
.517
OPS
.932
.893
Runs Scored
93
87
Hits
147
136
Total Bases
282
248
Doubles
23
28
Home Runs
36
28
RBI
95
72
Walks
65
64
Strikeouts
106
83
Marte had exceptional numbers in 136 games in 2024 and 125 games in 2025, maintaining the same production and also around the same slash line.
His 2024 season saw him rank amongst the best hitters in the National League, including second both in slugging percentage and OPS, fourth in home runs, sixth both in batting average and on-base percentage, 10th in RBI, 19th in walks and tied for 24th in hits.
Marte then had another strong showing in 2025 in the NL, ranking fourth in OPS, fifth in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging percentage, 12th in batting average and 16th in home runs.
Sep 28, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) hits a solo home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
His production earned him back-to-back All-Star nods, Silver Slugger Awards and All-MLB First Team honors. He also finished third in NL MVP voting in 2024, while hitting a career-high in home runs.
Marte had his best season in 2019, slashing .329/.389/.592 for an OPS of .981 with 32 home runs and 96 RBIs.
His next few seasons saw less production and less games played until starting around 2023, when he posted a slash line of .276/.358/.485 for an OPS of .843 with 26 home runs.
The 32-year old is also a solid fielder, which didn’t show last season, but his 2024 campaign, he put up six runs prevented and eight outs above average, plus 10 defensive runs saved at second base.
Why it Makes Sense for the Pirates to Trade for Marte
Now, Marte is one of the best hitters in baseball and someone the Pirates, if they acquried him, would become a changed team over night.
The Pirates need power hitters, as they ranked last in home runs in 2025 (117), slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655), plus in runs scored (583) and RBI (563)
Marte is a switch hitter and the Pirates have targeted left-handed hitters either in free agents or by trade.
PNC Park is a good ball park for left-handed hitters, with the right field wall much closer than the left field wall, which makes Marte a strong option when he’s hitting left-handed.
Marte, along with being a better hitter, is a much better fielder than Nick Gonzales is at second base.
Sep 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
| Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Gonzales struggled massively on defense in 2025, with -8 runs saved above average and -11 defensive runs saved.
What makes Marte an even better fit for Pittsburgh is his affordable contract, as he signed a six-year, $116.5 million contract on April 2, that has $91 million through 2030, around $18.25 million per season, plus an $11.5 million club option in 2031.
The Pirates would not only get their second baseman of the future, but do so within a reasoable salary for his talents, something a small market team like the Pirates would have interest in.
What Would the Pirates Have to Give Up in a Trade?
The Pirates and the Diamondbacks had the opposite problems last season, as the Pirates struggled hitting, but pitched well, while the Diamondbacks excelled at the plate, but were terrible on the mound.
Pittsburgh has a number of great talents in their pitching staff, including NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, veterans in Mitch Keller and Johan Oviedo, rookies in Braxton Ashcraft, Hunter Barco, Bubba Chandler and Mike Burrows, plus Jared Jones returning from injury next season.
Sep 26, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller (23) pitches the ball against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Arizona would want a huge return for Marte, so the Pirates, who are not trading Skenes, would have to consider giving up some of their best talents.
A trade package featuring Keller, who makes $55.7 million over the next three seasons, and some other pitchers might work, but the Diamondbacks will bargain hard for their best player.
The Pirates will likely look at other players that they can acquire easier in trades, but if the Diamondbacks will listen on Marte, they have to give it a shot.