Phillies resurface on trade radar for pricey Diamondbacks All-Star second baseman

While the Philadelphia Phillies' offseason will be influenced by what happens with Kyle Schwarber, he's not their sole focus during the ongoing MLB Winter Meetings. On Monday, the Phillies surfaced, for the second time this offseason, as one of the teams interested in Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi brought up the Phillies as a team potentially interested in trading for Marte when the topic of his availability came up on Hot Stove on the first day of the Winter Meetings.

"One team that's really interesting that I heard about, the Philadelphia Phillies," Morosi said. "The Phillies are not among the teams on his limited no-trade clause, so the Phillies could actually acquire Marte without his permission. That's a really important detail to keep in mind there."

Phillies linked to Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte for potential trade for second time this offseason

Earlier this offseason, on Nov. 25, Morosi first broached the Marte trade rumors, saying that there's a chance the Diamondbacks could move the All-Star second baseman this winter. The Phillies came up then as well.

"I think it's at least a 50/50 chance that Ketel Marte is moved by the Diamondbacks," Morosi said. "I talked to multiple sources on this in the last 24 hours. The Diamondbacks are actively listening on Ketel Marte. Nothing is close, but multiple teams have checked in. Among the teams to check in, the Phillies and the Blue Jays."

Despite already being 32, Marte would be an upgrade over current second baseman Bryson Stott. If the Phillies were to acquire Marte, Stott would either be included as a part of the trade package to Arizona or would be involved in a separate Phillies trade.

Marte just completed his second straight All-Star and Silver Slugger season in 2025. He hit .283 with an .893 OPS (145 OPS+), hit 28 home runs and drove in 72 runs in 126 games this year.

Trading for Ketel Marte would come at a high cost to Phillies

The problem is that any trade for Marte, a three-time All-Star, would require a big package in return. He's still under contract through 2030, with an average annual $19 million luxury tax hit, with an $11.5 million player option for 2031.

Morosi posted that the Diamondbacks' asking price is high, placing an emphasis on starting pitching at or near the majors.

"The DBacks are willing to engage with teams on Ketel Marte, but the price tag is high -- with an emphasis on starting pitchers who are at (or near) the major-league level," Morosi said.

One player who comes to mind they would be seeking in a trade is the Phillies' No.1 MLB Pipeline prospect Andrew Painter. Philadelphia's other top pitching prospects include No. 8 Moisés Chace, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and No. 11 Jean Cabrera. Neither is projected to be as good as Painter and neither is on track to be ready to make their major league debut in 2026.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has been adamant in the past that the franchise does not want to trade Painter.

Would the Phillies' stance remain the same on being unwilling to move Painter as part of a trade involving Marte? Trading for the Arizona infielder would provide an improvement to be paired with fellow multi-time All-Stars Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. However, it won't happen unless the front office decides to include Painter in the trade.