Coming off of a season marred by injuries, the Arizona Diamondbacks have a number of decisions to make in terms of the franchise's future. Chief among them is whether or not to trade Ketel Marte.
If the Diamondbacks do decide to trade Marte, there are sure to get a sizable return in exchange. Still, teams still aren't too certain whether or not the second baseman will be moved, via Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.
“Teams believe they'll have a better sense after the winter meetings of the Diamondbacks' seriousness about moving the best second baseman in baseball,” Passan and McDaniel wrote. “Marte has a very reasonable five years and $91 million (plus a sixth-year player option at $11.5 million) remaining on his contract, which means Arizona would want a whale of a return.”
Luckily for MLB franchises, the Winter Meetings start on Dec. 8, meaning they won't have to wait long to figure out Marte's status. If deemed available, the second baseman would arguably be the best player available on the trade market.
He is coming off of an All-Star campaign in 2025 in which he hit .283 with 28 home runs and 72 RBIs. Marte's entire nine-year tenure with the Diamondbacks has produced a .283 batting average, 168 home runs, 537 RBIs and 65 stolen bases. He has been voted to three All-Star Games overall.
Part of the reason Arizona is considering a trade is due to the locker room culture he fostered. Some players took offense to him missing time while the Diamondbacks were in the heat of a playoff race. If those emotions can't be smoothed over, Marte is more likely to be dealt.
But the Diamondbacks know just how talented Marte is. If they're keen on making it back to the playoffs, it could be beneficial to have the second baseman on their roster. Once the Winter Meetings is over, there will be much more clarity on Marte's status.
