With the offseason here, there seem to be a few players around Major League Baseball who will definitely get traded.
According to insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today, one of the players who could possibly be moved is Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Considering he’s done on both sides of the baseball, I'm here to say that I think he'd be the perfect option for the Philadelphia Phillies to pursue.
“Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte: The Diamondbacks will ask for a lot in return, but they are definitely motivated in moving him with $71 million remaining through 2030. If they don’t move him by mid-April, Marte will have 10-and-5 rights and a full no-trade provision,” he wrote.
The one issue that the Phillies might run into when it comes to Marte is the fact that he'll likely be very expensive in terms of a trade.
Marte doesn't hit the free agency market until 2031, and while 32 years old isn't exactly young, he's far from old.
All that to say, Philadelphia would certainly have to give us some of its top prospects if it even wants to entertain a deal for Marte.
Throughout the 2025 campaign, he earned his third All-Star nod and hit 28 home runs, 28 doubles, and posted a 145 OPS+. With his ability to play multiple positions in the infield, as well as the outfield, he'd be perfect for someone like the Phillies.
Regarding some other news on the Phillies front, outside of possibly trading for someone like Marte, Nightengale reported that the Phillies lost some money last year, and while they’ll make some changes, they desperately need Kyle Schwarber to return to the team.
“He’s the heartbeat of their team and means everything to their clubhouse let alone his impact on the field with 187 homers the past four years. Still, tough decisions loom. The Phillies lost about $85 million last year, even after drawing 3.35 million fans, thanks to a $56 million luxury tax hit. They'll make some changes this winter, but desperately need Schwarber.”
If the Phillies could walk out of the offseason by re-signing Schwarber and trading for Marte, I think they'd be in just as good a spot as any team in baseball heading into the year.