Trade rumors heat up as Mariners are tipped to acquire the D-Backs’ three-time All-Star in a major deal .MH
Seattle has the pieces to make a big deal.
The Seattle Mariners came away from the Winter Meetings without making any roster moves, but there are plenty of rumors to go around.
They hope to bring back Jorge Polanco in free agency, but that isn’t their only option. They have interest in both Ketel Marte and Brendan Donovan, and could make a blockbuster trade for either one of them.
Matt Snyder of CBS Sports recently made a prediction about where Marte would go. Marte began his career with the Mariners, and Snyder predicts that when the dust settles, Marte will be back with the team he started with by 2026.
Could Mariners Reunite With Ketel Marte?
“One might recall that the Mariners traded Marte to the Diamondbacks prior to the 2017 season. Back then, he was just a youngster with high upside. Now he’s a star. The Mariners are coming off their closest opportunity to make the World Series in franchise history and just bringing back Josh Naylor isn’t quite the splash they need this offseason. Marte fills the void at second base left by Jorge Polanco hitting free agency and he fits nicely in the batting order in several different spots,” Snyder wrote.
Marte was teammates with Naylor in Arizona last season before Naylor was sent to Seattle, so if he joins the Mariners, he would be reuniting with a former teammate.
While Polanco might be their top choice, a case could be made that Marte is the best option. He hit .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs, 72 RBI, a 4.4 WAR and an .893 OPS.
He’s a switch hitter and provides power from both sides of the plate, and the Mariners would benefit a lot from having the 32-year-old around.
The three-time All-Star also is under club control through 2030 and has a player option for 2031, so if they acquire him, the Mariners would have him for several years to come.
Jerry Dipoto took care of bringing back Naylor, but adding Marte might be the best option at second base. The Mariners also have the pitching prospects that Arizona would likely want in return.
It will be interesting to see what the rest of the offseason holds for the Mariners and if they’ll ultimately make a play for Marte.
