Red Sox Predicted To Trade For 3-Time All-Star Infielder

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow might have a nice holiday gift coming for fans.

That’s because the pieces could be coming together for the Red Sox to trade for Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star infielder Ketel Marte.

“Arizona has and will set a high bar for considering a deal involving Marte, given both his standout production (.283/.376/.517 in 2025 while leading big league second basemen in OBP and slugging) and the affordability of the remainder of his contract ($102.5 million guaranteed over the next six years to include a player option for 2031, with $46 million deferred),” the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reports.

“On paper, the Red Sox and Diamondbacks represent a promising match. Marte would give the Sox an elite right-handed hitter with power (28 homers last year in 124 games) who grades as a solid defensive option at an up-the-middle position. Though his contract runs through his age-37 season, it’s modest enough that it wouldn’t be a roster-building iceberg if his production craters late in the deal,” Speier adds.

In his report, Speier notes the Red Sox have “the pitching depth to help Arizona address its glaring rotation needs.”

“The Diamondbacks came to the winter meetings believing Marte would stay with them. They left town believing he will be traded,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports.

As for his prediction?

“Marte is traded to the Boston Red Sox, but the Detroit Tigers and, yes, the Cincinnati Reds are possibilities,” Nightengale concludes.

Marte is a three-time All-Star with a pair of Silver Slugger Awards on his resume.

He’s hit at least 25 home runs in each of the last three seasons and finished third in voting for the 2024 National League MVP Award. That year, he set career highs in home runs (36) and RBIs (95).

After whiffing on Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alsono in free agency, Marte would provide the Red Sox with a much-needed power bat.

He also would provide an insurance policy of sorts should the Red Sox fail to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman.