The Philadelphia Phillies have received some tough offseason news.
Earlier this offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies were tabbed as a potential trade destination for Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte.
Yes, the Phillies already have Bryson Stott, but for a player like Marte, you could just shift Stott to third base and jettison Alec Bohm. Simple.
However, as the winter progressed, it became less and less likely that Philadelphia would land the three-time All-Star. Still, Phillies fans held out hope.
But now, the dream is dead.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has revealed that the Diamondbacks will not be trading Marte, who is under club control through 2030 on an incredibly team-friendly deal.
It's entirely possible Arizona will revisit trade discussions midsummer, but for now, the D'Backs are deciding to hold on to their star infielder, and you can certainly understand why.
Marte slashed .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs and 72 RBI over 556 plate appearances in 2025 while playing great defense. He is also just two seasons removed from finishing third in National League MVP voting.
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images.Philadelphia certainly made sense as a landing spot for Marte given its need for another bat alongside of Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, but the problem is that the Phillies just don't have enough assets to truly interest Arizona.
Yes, Philadelphia has pitcher Andrew Painter, shortstop Aidan Miller and outfielder Justin Crawford, but beyond those three, the Phillies' organizational depth is very thin, so if they traded two of those players (which likely would have been required for Marte), their farm system would have been in dire straits.
Such has been the big issue for Philadelphia this offseason, which is evidently being fairly tight with its payroll, but also does not possess the goods needed to swing a blockbuster trade.
The Phillies have recently expressed interest in free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, but with the former Toronto Blue Jays star apparently asking for $300 million, there may not be a match there.
Outside of re-signing Schwarber, Philadelphia's offseason has been pretty quiet. The Phillies signed outfielder Adolis Garcia and relief pitcher Brad Keller, but that's about it.
We'll see if Dave Dombrowski can surprise everyone with a major move in the coming weeks.