Phillies' Potential Ketel Marte Trade Receives New Update

The Philadelphia Phillies absolutely need to add at least one infielder this offseason, as both Alec Bohm and Luis Arraez are free agents. So is utility man Edmundo Sosa.

The Phillies have already apparently expressed interest in Ha-Seong Kim, this even though he batted .116 with the Atlanta Braves this past year.

But could Philadelphia swing a whole lot bigger?

One name that has regularly surfaced as a potential target for the Phillies is Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, who appears to be on the verge of being dealt this winter.

The Diamondbacks seem to be heading in a different direction, and Marte certainly didn't do himself any favors by going AWOL in the team in the middle of a pennant race.

Enter Philadelphia, which has a dire need for more offense and has been tabbed as a potential fit for Marte by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors.

But just how much sense would it make for the Phillies?

From a pure baseball perspective, Marte is obviously a name Philadelphia should at least examine. He is now three seasons removed from finishing third in NL MVP voting after smashing 36 home runs to go along with a .932 OPS in 2024. And in 2025, he hit 28 homers with an .893 OPS.

What Marte did in 2026, however, should give Philadelphia plenty of pause.

The 33-year-old slashed .249/.316/.432 with 22 long balls and 76 RBI, and while he did post a .727 OPS back in 2022, that wasn't his age-32 campaign.

Marte seems to be declining, both offensively and defensively. And his reputation as a clubhouse problem should absolutely make the Phillies think twice.

Last year, a Marte trade would have been a slam dunk for Philadelphia. He was coming off of a great season in 2025, and the Phillies surely would have loved to move off of Alec Bohm at third base (they would have put Marte at second and slid Bryson Stott over to the hot corner, just like they did when they acquired Arraez).

Things are quite a bit different now, though, especially with the aging Marte under contract through 2031.

Philadelphia already has enough bad contracts on its payroll, and while Marte isn't making exorbitant money (he makes $13.75 million next season, $20 million in 2028, $22 million in 2029 and 2030 and then has a $11.5 player option for 2031), it's still a lot for the Phillies in their current financial predicament.

Marte probably wouldn't cost Philadelphia a ton in terms of prospect capital, but I just don't think the three-time All-Star is worth it at this stage.