One of the big takeaways following last week’s GM meetings in Las Vegas was that the Arizona Diamondbacks will entertain the idea of trading their star second baseman, Ketel Marte. The 32-year-old will be highly sought after this offseason, especially with the free agent class being incredibly top-heavy. 

As for the Cleveland Guardians, they need more offense, and Marte would certainly help with that. 

Trading for Marte would certainly break Cleveland’s move of making big win-now moves. However, Ramirez isn’t getting any younger, and the front office should be doing everything they can to make the Guardians a World Series contender next season, meaning Cleveland should at least explore the idea of trading for Marte.

Ketel Marte Is A Legitimate Offensive Threat

Marte isn’t just a good hitter, he’s a great one. 

Last season, he slashed .283/.376/.517 with an OPS of.893, including 28 home runs and 28 doubles. Not only that, but Marte was simply a tough hitter to get out, carrying a strikeout rate of only 14.9 percent. 

Considering the 32-year-old is also a switch-hitter, he’d be the perfect player to have hit second in Cleveland’s lineup behind Steven Kwan and in front of Jose Ramirez. 

Sure, there could be an awkward defensive fit with Travis Bazzana’s MLB debut seemingly imminent, but the Guardians need more offense, and they can’t let that prevent them from adding an All-Star caliber player.

Ketel Marte’s Surprisingly Reasonable Contract.

Before the 2025 season, Marte signed a six-year, $116,500,000 extension with the Diamondbacks. Yes, that’s more money than the Guardians typically hand out. 

However, considering it comes out to an AAV of roughly $ 19,500,000, and the Guardians only have about $61 million committed to their roster next season, adding Marte and his contract would still result in a payroll that is less than Cleveland’s was a year ago. 

Cleveland and Arizona’s Pre-existing Trade Partnership

In MLB, the prior relationship between front office members when pulling off a big trade is everything. Luckily for the Guardians, Chris Antonetti has already done some work with Mike Hazen and the Diamondbacks.

Last offseason, Cleveland traded Josh Naylor to the desert in exchange for Slade Cecconi. Could this one deal show the D-Backs that the Guardians are truly interested and help speed up any potential negotiations?

The Verdict…

Yes, the Guardians should at least explore the idea of trading for Marte because he would be a substantial upgrade to the lineup while still being on a reasonable contract. It’s not a move the one Cleveland typically makes, but that doesn’t mean it’d be a bad one.