The Boston Red Sox are one of the top teams linked to All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte on the trade market right now. As the Red Sox figure out how the Alex Bregman free agency situation will end, some pundits — ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez included — believe Boston should take a more flexible approach to their pursuits and consider guys outside of Bregman to be priorities, first and foremost Marte.
At 32 years old, Marte is only slightly older than Bregman, and his $103.5 million owed remaining over the next six seasons is a lower figure than Bregman will be landing in free agency.
Obviously, the Red Sox would have to give up significant assets to the Diamondbacks to procure Marte, whereas with Bregman they’d merely be signing the player. But at the end of the day, there’s a reason Boston is reportedly interested in Marte, isn’t there? This is a superstar-level player in his prime who could come in and give the Red Sox offensive firepower they are seeking.
Not surprisingly, Marte has other suitors.
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During a new episode of the Baseball Tonight podcast, Buster Olney introduced a new team into the mix that hasn’t really been discussed much — if at all — in connection with Marte.
“Ketel Marte, I think at some point he’s gonna get moved,” Olney said. “You talk to folks with other teams, they say before the trade deadline, the Diamondbacks last summer (were) saying, ‘Nope, we’re not moving him.’ And now it’s a very different conversation. They need to flip him to get assets for the rotation.”
“And I’ll just say this,” Olney continued. “The team that I find to be the most interesting in this … the Kansas City Royals … they’ve got surplus starting pitching (and) a guy like Cole Reagan’s is interesting to me … you know that that’s one potential fit.”
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In 2025, Marte delivered another strong season, securing his third All-Star appearance and second straight Silver Slugger.
Marte has solidified his status as a superstar over his 11-year MLB career. The switch-hitting infielder debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 2015, but found his stride after a 2016 trade to Arizona. Known for his defensive versatility, Marte has compiled 1,230 games, a .281 batting average, 171 home runs, 587 RBI, and an .823 OPS through 2025.
His breakout came in 2019 with an All-Star selection and fourth-place NL MVP finish. Marte claimed NLCS MVP in 2023, powering the D-backs to the World Series. The 2024 campaign saw career-best power with 36 homers and a .932 OPS, earning another All-Star berth and Silver Slugger.
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Featured image via Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
