May 21, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) reacts after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea
If the Phillies want to trade for Ketel Marte this offseason, they better send their best offer to the Arizona Diamondbacks soon.
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that the Snakes want to have a resolution on the status of the three-time All-Star soon:
“We’re very likely to put an end to this shortly,” Hazen said on Tuesday.
Now, what “shortly” means is less clear.
“I haven’t figured that out yet,” Hazen said of the exact timeline. “But this isn’t going to continue to linger. We need to focus our offseason. Again, my gut this whole time was that [a trade of Marte] wasn’t going to happen, and I think it seems likely that that’s the case and we want to focus on other things we need to do.”
Hazen's quote might lead you to believe that the Diamondbacks are pretty much done listening on Marte, but another interpretation could be that he's putting this out now hoping to get interested teams to put forward their best offers. From there, the Diamondbacks can decide whether or not there's an offer they are willing to accept.
While Hazen didn't deny that there's been any progress in Marte trade talks, he did say that the D-backs haven't received “anywhere near” a package that would get them to part with one of the most productive players in the league.
Whether and to what extent the Phillies are involved in those talks is unclear. Back on Nov. 25, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Diamondbacks were "actively listening" on Marte, adding that the Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays were "among the teams that have checked in." It's not known if those talks gained any steam.
Obviously, Marte would be a massive addition to the lineup for the Phillies, as he was the NLCS MVP in 2023 when the Diamondbacks upset Rob Thomson's squad in seven games. Over the last three seasons, Marte has posted an .887 OPS and a 15.3 WAR that FanGraphs says is tied with Mookie Betts for 12th among all position players in baseball. Whether he would hit cleanup or push one of Kyle Schwarber or Bryce Harper down, acquiring Marte would solve the seeming lack of a cleanup hitter on the Phillies.
Of course, it's not that simple. While Marte has at times rubbed some of his teammates wrong, he's one of the best players in baseball and the $92 million he's owed over the next five seasons — along with an $11.5 million player option for 2031 — is pretty affordable. To get the Diamondbacks to part with Marte, it's going to take an enticing package of young talent. Perhaps Bryson Stott and/or Alec Bohm could be part of a deal, but not the headliner going back to Arizona. Unless the Phillies would be willing to trade Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller, it's hard to see them matching up in a trade.
For what's it's worth, Marte does currently have a five-team no-trade clause that Morosi previously reported that the Phillies aren't on. So right now, the Phillies could trade for the 32-year-old without his approval. Marte will get a full no-trade clause in mid-April when he reaches 10 years of service time and gains 10-and-5 rights.
