After an offseason full of trade rumors, the Arizona Diamondbacks are reportedly still frustrated with their star player. Is this Craig Breslow's opportunity to pounce?
BOSTON -- For much of the offseason, trade rumors circulated about the Boston Red Sox' interest in Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte. Of course, a deal between the two never materialized. Now, in a new report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Diamondbacks remain frustrated with Marte's availability. Is this the perfect time for Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow to make a major splash?
Rumors first began circulating late in the 2025 season that the Arizona organization was frustrated with their star second baseman because he was not always available to play, picking and choosing his own days off. The Red Sox, in desperate need of a bat to replace the production of Rafael Devers, were at the forefront of offseason discussions regarding Marte. According to multiple reports throughout the offseason, the ask for Marte, who is under contract for another four seasons after 2026 at an incredibly affordable $19.4 million average annual value, was astronomical, with Arizona seeking shortstop Marcelo Mayer and one of Boston's rookie left-handed starters, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early, which Boston was unwilling to do.
According to Nightengale, Arizona's frustrations have carried into the 2026 season: "Marte, who the D-backs tried to trade during the winter, continues to frustrate segments of the organization by opting to take days off," he wrote on Sunday morning.
What is particularly odd about the report of Arizona's frustration is that Marte has started in 58 of the Diamondbacks' 64 games in 2026, and of the six games he was out of the starting lineup, the 32-year-old appeared as a pinch hitter in two.
An opportunity for Breslow
A rift between a star player and organization is a feeling Red Sox fans are all too familiar with after the 2025 saga that ended in the shocking trade of Rafael Devers to San Francisco. However, the seemingly growing rift between Marte and Arizona could be a chance for Breslow to add the star power that has been missing from the Boston lineup since the Devers trade.
After a slow start to the season, Marte is hitting .309/.364/.588/.951 with six home runs and 24 RBI in his last 28 games, bringing his season line to .250/.304/.450/.754 with 11 home runs and 37 RBI.
Boston's unwillingness to include Mayer in an offseason deal made plenty of sense at the time, as the 2021 fourth overall pick figured to be a franchise cornerstone at shortstop. Could Mayer's slow start to 2026, paired with the emergence of top prospect Franklin Arias as a consensus top 10 prospect in the sport, make the 23-year-old Mayer more available in trade talks?
Breslow, however, would likely remain steadfast in his unwillingness to include either Early or Tolle in any deal. The pair has combined for a 2.85 ERA in 113 innings pitched and a 2.1 WAR in 2026, both looking like staples in the Boston rotation for years to come.
The Red Sox have no shortage of intriguing young arms, though, and as reported by Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, Breslow has no issue trading depth starters as he is confident in the Red Sox' pitching development system to continue to churn out major league-caliber starters.
Boston could pair one of their 2025 draftees, Kyson Witherspoon, Anthony Eyanson, or Marcus Phillips, with Mayer in a deal for Marte, or choose to offer a lesser name, like left-hander Jake Bennett, who figures to replace Brayan Bello in the major league rotation next week.
No matter what their offer may be, Breslow should be all over a potential deal for Marte, as he represents a massive, much-needed upgrade to the Boston lineup, not only for 2026 but for the next four seasons as well. The one issue in all of this? Marte recently reached his 10-5 rights, meaning he essentially has a no-trade clause and can veto any deal.
The MLB Trade Deadline is set for August 3 at 6:00 p.m. ET. The Red Sox are currently 26-35 and in last place in the American League East.
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