D’backs GM casts doubt on possible Ketel Marte trade to Red Sox originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
THE Ketel Marte Trade Rumors have cooled off since the MLB Winter Meetings, and now it appears the Arizona Diamondbacks are considering retaining their All-Star second baseman.
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Mike Hazen, general manager of the D’backs spoke to reporters on Tuesday on Marte’s availability in commercial negotiations. Although the club continues to talk with teams about a possible deal, Hazen is ready to move on.
“It is very likely that we will end this situation shortly,” Hazen said. … “This is not going to continue to linger. We need to focus our offseason.
“Again, my instinct was that (a Marte trade) wasn’t going to happen, and I think it seems likely that that’s the case and we want to focus on other things that we need to do.”
The Red Sox have been the club most linked to Marte in recent weeks. Arizona reportedly asked for young pitchers in return, and Boston has two top pitching prospects in left-handers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early.
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That price may be too high for Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, and understandably so. Tolle has the best potential as Boston’s No. 1 prospect, and Early demonstrated his intriguing potential in his first taste of the major leagues last season. Trading them for a 32-year-old infielder – even one as talented as Marte – is a risky business.
That said, the Red Sox still need to add a big bat or two to their lineup this offseason, even after acquisition of first baseman Willson Contreras of the St. Louis Cardinals. Re-sign Alex Bregman remains a possibilityand they also have been linked to sluggers Bo Bichette and Eugenio Suarez on the free agent market. If Marte trade talks fail, Boston could turn to Brendan Donovan, Cardinals utility man Or Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros infielder.
In 2025, Marte, the switch hitter, slashed .283/.376/.517 with 28 homers and 72 RBIs in 126 games. He’s also been a solid defender at second base with +10 outs above average over the last three seasons (+8 OAA in ’24).
