The Boston Red Sox acquired Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, taking on $33.5 million of his remaining $41.5 million contract. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Boston is now expected to bow out of Ketel Marte trade talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Not all that long ago, the Red Sox appeared to attain pole position in the Marte sweepstakes. The D’Backs are considering trades for the All-Star second baseman with five years left on his contract. He’s the most valuable trade candidate in the rumor mill. If the Red Sox decline further pursuit, these five teams become realistic alternatives.
5. Miami Marlins
2025 MLB Spring Breakout | Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/GettyImages
The Miami Marlins feel like the ultimate sleeper here. Is Ketel Marte going to end up in South Beach? Probably not. But we know the Marlins want to build on last season’s unexpected success, and Marte is the rare superstar locked on a contract that Miami’s front office might find palatable. Miami has the farm talent — including two touted MLB-ready pitchers in Thomas White and Robby Snelling — to push the D’Backs into a deal.
The NL East is already loaded with talent. Marte transforms Miami into a real threat. Xavier Edwards can hit .300 and slide over to shortstop. Jacob Marsee, Kyle Stowers and Griffin Conine look like potential franchise cornerstones under the age of 30. Heriberto Hernández and Christopher Morel can provide a bit of pop off the pine. The pitching staff has Sandy Alcántara, Edward Cabrera and Eury Pérez, which is potentially a postseason-worthy top three.
Miami would need to beef up the back of the lineup and add depth to the rotation, especially if White and/or Snelling end up going back to Arizona. But Marte is the rare needle-moving, fringe MVP-type talent making less than $30 million per year on his third MLB contract. It’s such a golden opportunity for the Marlins. If not now, when exactly?
4. New York Mets
San Diego Padres v New York Mets | Brandon Sloter/GettyImages
The New York Mets are the latest team to pop up in Ketel Marte trade rumors. The Mets need to flesh out the lineup behind Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. Marte goes a long way toward doing so, arguably giving the Mets the best three-headed monster in MLB. But is this actually a fit? The Mets are loaded with pitching prospects, a mark in their favor. And Marte — a plus defender on an affordable deal — certainly fits the profile of a David Stearns target. But he’s also a second baseman, of which the Mets have plenty.
New York added Marcus Semien in the Brandon Nimmo trade. Jorge Polanco has made it clear he’s transitioning to first base, but he’s a natural second baseman. The Mets farm system, from Jett Williams to A.J. Ewing, has middle infielders on the rise, too. Lindor is a lock at shortstop, so the Mets would need to get creative to accommodate Marte. He spent some time in centerfield once upon a time, but was less successful there. His doesn’t really profile well in right field. Do the Mets bump him to left and hope Marte figures it out? That adds an extra layer of risk to the trade.
Look, maybe the Mets just DH Marte a lot and figure it out. His bat is worth the ‘just figure it out’ approach, and New York desperately needs to get back on track after this roster purge. Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat are potential return package headliners as the Diamondbacks search for controllable pitching. Again, the Mets have the pieces. So this is one to watch out for, even if other smaller-market teams with less financial flexibility are probably more motivated to land the rare affordable superstar.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates v Tampa Bay Rays | Julio Aguilar/GettyImages
The Pittsburgh Pirates made their first splash of the offseason this weekend, turning Mike Burrows into Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery, all of whom should contribute in meaningful ways next season. Lowe immediately becomes the most established bat on the team, while Mangum’s speed and contact skills make him a candidate to bat leadoff. Montgomery is a high-upside swing in the bullpen.
This is the path for Pittsburgh, especially after whiffing on Kyle Schwarber at the onset of free agency. The Pirates need to turn their pitching surplus into plus hitters, as their lineup desperately needs a facelift. The Lowe trade does complicate a little bit, especially with Oneil Cruz in centerfield, but the Pirates have the top-rated pitching prospects — Bubba Chandler, Hunter Barco, Thomas Harrington — to facilitate a deal. If Cruz or Lowe end up in the DH spot, that’s a fine outcome for a team so lacking in pop.
Marte cranked 28 home runs with an .893 OPS last season. He immediately transforms the Pirates as a foundational hitter making far less than the $40 million annually they offered Schwarber. Plus, Marte’s archetype should age more gracefully. We know Pittsburgh is ready to act like a real team and giving Paul Skenes a winning hand. Marte would be the absolute best-case outcome this winter.
2. Seattle Mariners
Championship Series – Toronto Blue Jays v Seattle Mariners – Game 5 | Daniel Shirey/GettyImages
The Seattle Mariners own MLB’s No. 3 farm system, with an impressive collection of future stars on the mound. Kade Anderson, last year’s No. 2 pick, might not be on the table, but Ryan Sloan, Jurrangelo Cjintje and Michael Morales are a few (of many) names that could appeal to Arizona. It’s also worth wondering if the Mariners might dip into their stalwart MLB rotation for a bat of Marte’s caliber.
Bryce Miller comes to mind as a 27-year-old who doesn’t hit free agency until 2030. He struggled last season, posting a 5.68 ERA in 18 starts, but he’s only a year removed from 31 starts with a 2.94 ERA. As the Diamondbacks look to rebuild their rotation with Corbin Burnes on the mend, it’s hard to imagine many more appealing options than Miller, should the Mariners put him on the table.
Marte has the potential to elevate Seattle to the status of ALCS favorites. The Mariners fell just short in a one-run loss to Toronto in Game 7 of the 2025 ALCS. Cal Raleigh may or may not reach the heights of his historic 60-home run campaign again, but he’s a true-blue superstar. Toss in Marte, with JulÃo RodrÃguez, Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena anchoring the top half of the lineup, and Seattle has both a lights-out pitching staff and one of the most talent-rich offenses in MLB. This is probably the best possible outcome for Marte if he wants to compete for a World Series.
1. Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays v Cincinnati Reds | Dylan Buell/GettyImages
The Tampa Bay Rays acquired multiple high-level prospects in the trades of Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz, which opens a spot at second base and gives them plenty of ammo for a Marte trade. If we want to read the tea leaves, this feels like the logical endpoint for Arizona and Marte. Tampa is moving back into Tropicana Field next season and has no plans to let the loaded AL East leave them in the dust. This is a talented team with a very deliberate front office. Every move so far has made it easier to acquire and spotlight Marte.
Tampa does not typically buy from the top shelf in free agency, so Marte feels like a calculated swing — the rare all-world talent on a $21 million annual contract, available with five years of club control. The Rays can set and forget Marte as their starting second baseman and expect to contend, on some level, for the duration of his contract.
The Rays could work 28-year-old Ryan Pepiot into negotations as the centerpiece of Arizona’s return package. The former top Dodgers prospect posted a 3.86 ERA in 31 starts last season and has the potential to take a leap given the quality of his stuff. Playing in a real ballpark, especially one as friendly to pitchers as Chase Field, can’t hurt. Tampa also has Brody Hopkins, Anderson Brito (from the Lowe trade) and Michael Forret (from the Baz trade) to dangle out of the farm system. All should be MLB starters within a few years.