The Pittsburgh Pirates have been named a shocking trade destination for this All-Star slugger.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking for offense this offseason, which has been a long time coming considering just how bad their lineup is.
But where will the Pirates find it? Will they actually spend money in free agency? Or will they be more likely to peruse the trade market?
I suppose Pittsburgh could try a little bit of both, but the Bucs may be better served seeking trades, as it's hard to imagine them outcompeting contending teams for sluggers like Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger.
ESPN's Jeff Passan recently put together a list of the top trade candidates in baseball for this winter, and when Ketel Marte's name was mentioned, Passan floated the Pirates as one of the most probable destinations for the Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star.
"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 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."
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. Credit: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Marte slashed .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs and 72 RBI over 556 plate appearances while also playing stellar defense this past season.
The 32-year-old began his career with the Seattle Mariners in 2015 but was traded to the Diamondbacks in November 2016.
Marte has since emerged as one of the best all-around players in baseball, and his $19.4 million average annual salary is an absolute bargain for a player of his caliber.
The question is whether or not the Pirates would actually be able to put together a strong enough package to acquire Marte. And would they even be willing?
Marte's age is definitely a bit of a concern for a team like Pittsburgh, although Paul Skenes has made it clear he wants to see instant improvement. So could the Buccos actually act as a win-now team this offseason?
It's also worth noting that Marte is just two seasons removed from smashing 36 homers and posting a .932 OPS. In fact, 2024 and 2025 were two of the best campaigns of his career, so his age hasn't adversely affected him just yet.
We'll see if the Pirates can pull off a miracle trade for Marte in the coming weeks or months.