Phillies' Ketel Marte Trade Buzz is About to Surface Again

Last winter, the Philadelphia Phillies were widely viewed as a potential trade destination for Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte, but the Diamondbacks opted to hold on to him.

That was probably a mistake on the part of Arizona.

The Diamondbacks missed the playoffs this year and Marte took a major step back, slashing .249/.316/.432 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI over 624 plate appearances.

He also went AWOL in the middle of a pennant race, which didn't do much for his clubhouse reputation that was already subpar to begin with.

To make matters worse, Marte managed a .683 OPS in September when the D'Backs needed him most, right as they were pushing the Phillies for the NL's final Wild Card spot.

Now, it's looking like the 33-year-old is a sure-fire goner, and Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen has already said as much by stating that "we need to look at some ways to shake the team up a little bit" when asked about Marte's potential availability, via Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic.

Piecoro has also reported that "multiple teams" have expressed interest in Marte, and it would not be surprising if Philadelphia is among them.

Of course, that doesn't mean it would be advisable for the Phillies.

There was a time when Marte was one of the most underrated players in baseball. Back in 2024, he finished third in NL MVP voting after smashing 36 homers and posting a .932 OPS. He is also just two seasons removed from hitting 28 long balls with an .893 OPS.

But it seems pretty evident that Marte is on a decline.

The three-time All-Star saw stark drops across the board this past year, posting a 2.5 WAR. Funny enough, he still would have been a nice addition to a Phillies offense that sorely needed some pop, but would it have been worth the cost?

It should be noted that Marte would come much cheaper now. There is no way the Diamondbacks could justify asking for a massive haul for the second baseman at this stage.

His contract runs through 2031 (featuring a player option for the final year), and while it isn't particularly expensive (he will make $13.75 million next season, $20 million in 2028, $22 million in 2029 and 2030 and then has an $11.5 million option for 2031), it's still a lot of money on a lot of years for a guy who is not quite the same anymore.

If Arizona is willing to eat some of Marte's deal, perhaps it's something Philadelphia could consider, but then would the Phillies really want Marte in their locker room?

Given Philadelphia's openings at second base and third base, you will almost certainly hear the Phils connected to Marte this offseason. But they should probably pass.