Could Nolan Arenado Trade Open Door For Red Sox To Acquire Ketel Marte?

The Boston Red Sox are scrambling to pick up the pieces after Alex Bregman shockingly signed with the Chicago Cubs in free agency on a five-year, $175 million contract. On Tuesday, another one of the team’s top targets, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, appears to have come off the board.

Arenado has been a longtime trade target for the Sox, and with the team having already swung a pair of deals with the Cardinals earlier this offseason for Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras, it seemed like he could be a possible replacement for Bregman at third base.

Instead, Arenado has reportedly been dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks. On the surface, it’s tough to see Boston miss out on another one of its targets, but could this deal actually end up being beneficial for the Red Sox?

One of the players the Sox have been heavily linked to all offseason long is Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. However, general manager Mike Hazen recently said that after a couple of weeks of negotiations with other teams, he was taking Matre off the trade block.

Now that Arenado is in town, though, that could conceivably change the team’s stance on a trade involving Marte. The two guys don’t play the same position, but adding another infielder into the mix could allow Arizona to get creative with its roster configuration moving forward.

With Bregman off the market, Boston could use Marte now more than ever before. Not only would he fill a position of need in the middle infield, but Marte is a strong switch-hitting bat at the plate, as he hit .283 with 28 home runs and 72 RBIs last season.

It certainly couldn’t hurt for the Red Sox to check in on Marte again, but it doesn’t seem like this deal will automatically result in the Diamondbacks changing their stance on his future with the team. Arizona still doesn’t have a true option at second base to replace him, even after adding a de facto starter at third base in Arenado.

Boston had a shot to acquire Marte earlier this offseason, but it missed its chance to do so. With Bregman gone, the sense of urgency inside the front office has increased, and while Marte would be a perfect fit in the lineup, it doesn’t seem likely that he will be coming to town anytime soon, even after Arizona’s latest big move.