As the Tampa Bay Rays target a blockbuster deal to bolster their AL-best roster, Arizona Diamondbacks veteran Ketel Marte's name has emerged as a potential option, but it's one that may never see the light of day.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have quite a few names who could be on the trade block, but it doesn't seem like second baseman Ketel Marte is going to be one of those.
The 32-year-old has been with the D-backs since 2017, spending all but two of his 12 years in the majors with Arizona.
Here at the 2026 trade deadline, USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale reported the Tampa Bay Rays have expressed interesting in acquiring the Dominican Republic native.
That said, he later adds a section on Marte that puts these talks on hold as the infielder seemingly holds all the power.
Marte expected to veto all trades
"The Diamondbacks shopped Marte during the winter, but pulled him off the market before spring training," Nightengale wrote. "He now has 10-and-5 rights and is expected to veto all trades, which Arizona has told teams."
At this point in his career, Marte is content with where he's at. That's not a bad thing either, and it shows he has faith in what the Diamondbacks are doing.
That said, some could argue it's a bit puzzling not to want to go to Tampa Bay. It's not like the similar weather has anything to do with it, but it can't be overlooked that the Rays have the best record in the American League while the D-backs are 12.5 games back in the National League West.
How aggressive will the Rays be?
At the time of writing, the Rays have an astonishing .602 winning percentage. For reference, the next closest in the AL is .558, which just so happens to be the New York Yankees, a team they're stuck in the same division as.
Not only were baseball fans stunned by the Rays being ahead of the Yankees at the All-Star break, but no one expected them to have the best record in the entire American League.
"The Rays, who suddenly are seeing that the AL is wide open for the taking, plan to be aggressive buyers at the deadline," Nightengale added. "They have shown interest in seeing whether the Diamondbacks would move second baseman Ketel Marte."
Marte has seemingly made it crystal clear to both the Diamondbacks and everyone in the league he doesn't want to be traded, so this'll be an interesting situation to monitor in the coming weeks. The possibility of his time in Arizona coming to an end doesn't seem to be too high, but one good offer could change everything.
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