The Reds just received some great news that could make a deal much easier to pull off.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Monday that Marte has a five-team no-trade list in his contract, and the Reds are not on it.
The teams Marte can block a trade to are the Athletics, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals.
This is a big deal for Cincinnati because it means the Reds would not need Marte's approval to complete a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Other teams like the Yankees and Giants, who have been linked to the three-time All-Star, now face a much harder path to acquiring him since Marte would have to sign off on any deal.
What Marte Would Bring to Cincinnati
The Reds went 83-79 in 2025 and snuck into the playoffs as the sixth seed, but they were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Wild Card Series.
The team's offense struggled at times throughout the season, and adding a bat like Marte's could change everything for Terry Francona's squad.
In 2025, Marte hit .283 with 28 home runs and 72 RBI while posting an .893 OPS and a 145 OPS+ for the Diamondbacks, who finished 80-82 and missed the postseason.
The switch-hitting second baseman earned his third All-Star selection and won his second Silver Slugger Award, proving he is still one of the best hitters at his position in all of baseball.
Over the last three seasons, Marte has put up 16 WAR and slashed .283/.368/.519 with 89 home runs and 249 RBI.
Marte is owed $102.5 million over the next six seasons, which includes $41 million in deferred money, and his contract runs through 2031 with a player option in the final year.
While that is a lot of money, the deferred payments make his deal very team-friendly for clubs looking to stay under certain payroll thresholds.
How the Reds Could Make It Happen
The Diamondbacks are looking for pitching help after injuries devastated their rotation in 2025, and the Reds have some arms that could interest Arizona.
While Cincinnati is not going to trade Hunter Greene, starters like Andrew Abbott or Nick Lodolo could make sense in a deal.
The Reds also have young talent in their system that they could package together with a starting pitcher to get a deal done.
One question that remains is where Marte would fit on the roster with Matt McLain already at second base for the Reds.
McLain struggled in 2025, and the fact that Cincinnati is looking at second basemen on the trade market shows the front office may be ready to move on or shift him to another position.
With the Reds not on Marte's no-trade list and Arizona in need of pitching, these two teams look like a strong match this offseason.
Whether or not a deal actually comes together remains to be seen, but Cincinnati now has one less obstacle in its way.