The Arizona Diamondbacks are supposedly cutting off trade talks soon, but don't let that impact you, M's fans.
According to a recent report from Jon Heyman, and aggregated from @UnderdogMLB, the Arizona Diamondbacks are ready to cut off trade talks involving second baseman Ketel Marte.
Offseason updates, per @JonHeyman:
• Yankees, Dodgers, and Cubs have checked in on Bo Bichette
• Yankees and Cubs are fielding calls on Jazz Chisholm, Nico Hoerner
• Yankees submitted a formal offer to Cody Bellinger
• Padres showing interest in Kazuma Okamoto
• D'Backs have told teams the Ketel Marte trade window is closing
The Mariners have been linked to Marte this offseason, though they have been more connected to Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals.
About Marte
Now 32 years old, Marte will play the entire 2026 season at 32. An 11-year veteran of the Mariners and Diamondbacks, he's a career .281 hitter with 171 home runs and 587 RBIs.
Marte has seven seasons of double-digit home run totals and two seasons of 30 or more. He's got two seasons of 90+ RBIs, is a three-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger and an NLCS MVP.
He's signed through the 2030 campaign with just over $90 million remaining. There is also an $11.5 million player option for 2031. Given the price tags on premier players, he's relatively affordable.
If Seattle was able to land Marte, they'd continue to be the American League West favorite, and they'd be alongside the Toronto Blue Jays as the American League favorites.
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Is this ultimatum real by the D'backs?
No. This feels entirely like a leverage play by Arizona. It seems as if they want to create some urgency in the market, so they are telling teams they will cut off talks soon. Trust us, if they get an offer they like for Marte, whether it be in a week or a month, they'll re-engage.
Why the D'backs have some urgency as well
Don't forget this. Marte gets 10/5 rights in April, meaning he effectively gets a full no-trade clause. If the Diamondbacks want to move him, they are highly motivated to do so this spring. They won't be able to control things anymore once April hits.
So, are the M's hopes of landing him done?
They might be, but make no mistake: If the Mariners don't get Marte, it won't be because of this arbitrary deadline. If the M's want Marte bad enough, they have the pieces to get him, and if they don't want to give up those pieces, that's fine too. But this deadline will have nothing to do with it.
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