Earlier in the offseason, rumors surfaced that the Philadelphia Phillies had interest in trading for the Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte. A deal wouldn't have come cheap, as Arizona was looking to receive MLB-ready pitching in return. Luckily, the latest news out of the desert means that the Phillies won’t have an opportunity to make a potentially bad trade.
Recently, Arizona updated the status of the future of their three-time All-Star second baseman. MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reported that Marte will not be traded and will remain with the Diamondbacks.
The primary player in the Phillies' organization who would've interested the Diamondbacks is top prospect Andrew Painter. Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, has commented multiple times over the last couple of years that the franchise wants to keep Painter.
Ketel Marte trade would've made a veteran Phillies club even older for the next several years
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen commented about the team no longer engaging in trade talks for Marte.
"It never ended up getting that close," Hazen said of potential deals, per Gilbert. "Just sort of reaffirming what I've been saying the entire offseason, like my expectation was this wasn't going to happen. I felt like I had to do my job just to listen to what people had to say. He's a superstar player for us, and has been for a long time, and is going to continue to be."
The addition of Marte would have helped the Phillies offensively, in the short-term at least. He had 28 home runs, 72 RBIs, a slash line of .283/.376/.517, and an .893 OPS in 126 games last season. However, he’s 32 years old, and the Phillies have a veteran club that needs more youth. Hopefully, they will get that with the promotion of all three of their top prospects during the 2026 season.
Marte agreed to a six-year, $116.5 million contract extension last year with the Diamondbacks. He doesn't have an option until 2031, when he will be 37. The Phillies already have long-term contracts with veterans Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola, and Kyle Schwarber that will keep them with the franchise until the players are in their late 30s or early 40s. The Phillies should avoid trading for any more players that they'll be locked into a contract with until the player is near retirement.
Arizona wanted a lot in return for Marte, due to his significance to the team and his current contract. However, the Phillies and other rumored teams seen as a fit for the second baseman weren't interested in giving what the Diamondbacks were seeking.
Considering the makeup of the Phillies’ roster and Marte's age, Philadelphia avoided a trade that would've made them older and trading away one of their top young players in the process, among others. The Diamondbacks' infielder is a talented player, but isn't the best fit for the Phillies based on their average age.