Jun 20, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Ketel Marte (4) celebrates his three run home run in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Ron Chenoy
An interesting name has emerged as the Phillies try to shake things up after another disappointing postseason exit.
In an appearance on MLB Network Tuesday, Jon Morosi said that the Arizona Diamondbacks are “actively listening” on All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, and added that both the Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays are “among the teams that have checked in.”
“The Diamondbacks are actively listening.”@jonmorosi has the latest on Ketel Marte potentially being traded this offseason 👀 pic.twitter.com/hjlD93EdqW
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 25, 2025
Also noteworthy in this discussion is Morosi hears that neither the Phillies or Blue Jays are on Marte’s five-team no-trade clause. It’s unclear what teams are, but those clubs would need Marte’s approval to acquire him. The Phillies or Blue Jays would not.
Arizona general manager Mike Hazen did suggest — to Morosi, at that — during the GM meetings earlier this month that a trade of the three-time All-Star wasn’t particularly likely.
“Yeah look, we get asked about all of our best players. We have a lot of really good players on our team,” Hazen said. “The team, the way we’re constructed, teams call us all the time and ask about those guys. And a lot of times they’re like, ‘Hey, I know you probably won’t talk about it, but we want to express interest.’ That’s what’s happened so far this offseason. It’s happened every year since we’ve had him, and all the other good players we have. And we’ll see where the conversations go beyond that. But I’d say it’s mostly unlikely for that stuff to happen.”
“It’s mostly unlikely for that stuff to happen.”
– D-backs EVP & GM Mike Hazen on trading their star players like Ketel Marte
MLB Network + @SageUSAmerica pic.twitter.com/2I5maLUzrU
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) November 11, 2025
However, for the Diamondbacks to now be “actively listening” on Marte suggests that Arizona — which is in drastic need of pitching help — is doing more than just picking up the phone. You can’t control other teams calling you to express interest, but it’s fair to assume that if someone called Dave Dombrowski right now to ask about Cristopher Sánchez, he wouldn’t do much “active listening.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Snakes will trade Marte, but it is important to keep in mind that it will become significantly more difficult to trade the two-time Silver Slugger Award winner in the not-so-distant future. Marte right now has just the five-team no-trade clause, but will gain a full no-trade clause in mid-April via 10-and-5 rights (10 years in the league, at least five with the same team). So if the Diamondbacks are willing to entertain a trade of Marte, it would make much more sense to do so now than it would next summer.
Marte was an All-Star for the second consecutive season in 2025, hitting 28 home runs, driving in 72 runs and posting an .893 OPS. FanGraphs says that since the start of the 2023 season, Marte’s 15.3 WAR is tied with Mookie Betts for 12th among all position players. The Phillies got a first-hand look at how good Marte is when he’s locked in during the 2023 NLCS, which he won MVP of after hitting .387 in the seven-game series.
It should be pointed out that Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reported in August that there was some level of frustration with Marte in the Diamondbacks organization.
“In recent years, some Diamondbacks players have taken to adding a phrase to comments they make when asked about Marte. He is a great player, they say, when he wants to be. They are giving credit while also airing a grievance,” Piecoro said.
In Marte’s defense, this did come after he was away from the team a trio of games when his home in the Dominican Republic was burglarized. Nonetheless, he later apologized:
The All-Star second baseman apologized through an interpreter Monday for missing three games following the All-Star break after flying back to his home in the Dominican Republic — a situation that has apparently been festering in the clubhouse over the past month.
The 31-year-old said he initially expected to return to Phoenix immediately following the break but was “frustrated” and “in a bad spot” after he learned his residence in Scottsdale, Arizona, had been burglarized during the break, according to the interpreter.
While perhaps not ideal, teams are typically willing to make some exceptions for great players, which Marte clearly is when healthy. Whether the Phillies would think he’s a fit or not is unclear.
Marte did at one point play all over the diamond, but at this stage he’s really just a second baseman. It’s hard to imagine the Phillies acquiring the 32-year-old — who has a history of hamstring issues — and putting him back in center field. If you trade for Marte, he’s your second baseman. That would displace second baseman Bryson Stott. Perhaps Stott would be part of a trade return to Arizona, or the Phillies could consider the possibility of shifting him to third base if Alec Bohm — entering his final year of arbitration eligibility — is traded in this deal or another. Marte is good enough that any acquiring team would make second base available to accommodate him.
Marte is a switch-hitter who hit .287 with an .893 OPS in 372 left-handed plate appearances last year, as opposed to .277 with an .891 OPS in 184 right-handed plate appearances. Someone who is able to thrive as a right-handed hitter would be a welcome addition to a lineup that was overly left-handed in 2025, and likely will lean that way in 2026 if Kyle Schwarber is re-signed.
Exactly how the Phillies would fit Marte into things financially would be interesting. He’s set to make $16 million in 2026, and $92 million between 2026 and 2030. He has an $11.5 million player option for 2031, and considering he’ll be 37 at that point, it will likely be picked up. If Marte was a free agent right now, he would blow by what looks like a six-year/$103.5 million deal. Still, that contract comes with a $19.42 million luxury tax salary each year. It would be taking on another significant salary, and signing up to pay another star well into his 30s. So there’s certainly a lot of consider in a potential trade for Marte.
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