This Red Sox-Diamondbacks trade for Ketel Marte is the only way Breslow can save himself
It’s felt like the Boston Red Sox have been masters of taking one step forward only to take one, if not several more, steps back right after. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow is firmly on the hot seat for a team that’s fired Alex Cora, sits nine games under .500, and hasn’t shown an ounce of consistency this season. Barring something miraculous, he’s going to lose his job with the Red Sox. But the Arizona Diamondbacks might be throwing him a lifeline.
Boston and Arizona were engaged in some form of trade talks this offseason centered around second baseman Ketel Marte. The trade never came to pass, as the two sides couldn’t come to terms. However, with a new report indicating that Marte could still be on the trade block leading up to the early-August deadline, perhaps Breslow could open up the phone lines with the D’Backs again and make the one deal that would help both the Red Sox longterm and help himself stay employed.
Ketel Marte has resurfaced in early summer trade rumors
Remember in the offseason when it was rumored that the Diamondbacks were somewhat unhappy with Ketel Marte and potentially shopping him? We’re in the middle of the 2026 season now, and those reports are resurfacing.
Specifically, USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale reported that Arizona, at least in parts of the organization, is unhappy with Marte. Here’s what he said exactly on the matter:
“Meanwhile, Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel 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 sat last week when Shohei Ohtani the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched against the Diamondbacks, and then played the next day and hit a walk-off homer.”
While I would certainly contend that a 32-year-old star and who has some injury history should be given some days off, that’s a similar theme to what was mentioned in regard to Marte in the offseason. Even if I don’t think it’s wise for the D’Backs, something this consistent being rumored likely means there’s something to it.
That doesn’t guarantee a trade, of course, considering that Marte wasn’t moved during the offseason. But if there is a willingness on Arizona’s part to trade him, the Red Sox would be wise to reopen those conversations — and potentially change one of their stances from offseason negotiations with the Diamondbacks.
Red Sox trade package for Ketel Marte that Arizona would have to consider
When the two sides were talking in the offseason, Marcelo Mayer was the sticking point for the Red Sox in ultimately not getting the deal done. However, with the way things have transpired, it’s not hard to envision that Breslow — especially in a state of desperation — might be more inclined to deal the former first-round pick and Boston’s current starting shortstop. Meanwhile, Arizona’s pitching depth organizationally can get a huge boost from the Red Sox’ elite depth in terms of arms, as well as Breslow’s confidence in continuing to replenish that pipeline.
The result is the D’Backs getting a player in Mayer who has not fully tapped into his potential at 23 years old, Bennett as someone who could start for them right away, and another upside arm in Holobetz, all while sending Boston one of their stars in Marte. Is that enough? If the Red Sox take on the entirety of the second baseman’s salary, it just might be.
Why the Red Sox and Breslow would make this trade
Breslow and the Red Sox are at odds right now. The former is trying to save his job after an exceptionally flawed roster build has led to the team now sitting nine games under .500. And while the woeful American League still leaves Boston in position to contend for a postseason berth, the fact of the matter is that it doesn’t look like a group good enough to make any noise in the playoffs, which was the expectation entering the season.
All that leads to the realization that the Red Sox would probably be best served as sellers before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Guys like Aroldis Chapman (who was also mentioned in Nightengale’s column), Garrett Whitlock, Willson Contreras, Jarren Duran and Sonny Gray could set Boston up with more pieces around their young core for the future and, in that scenario, likely with someone other than Breslow manning the controls.
While that may be true, Breslow still being in his position likely means we won’t see this team wave the white flag. And if that’s the case, then Ketel Marte is hands-down the best possible option in that capacity. He’s someone who can give the Red Sox offense the pop and star power that they’ve sorely been lacking outside of Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, but also a player under contract through the 2030 season (with a player option for 2031) that can also help serve the future.
Moreover, the Red Sox could show an increased willingness to move on from Mayer, not just because of his lackluster offense in the majors this season, but due to the breakout of Franklin Arias in Double-A this season. With the added power of the near-consensus Top 5 prospect in the sport, Arias now potentially profiles as an even better prospect than Mayer who’s also younger and already nearing a promotion to Triple-A.
When you combine all of that with Boston’s pitching depth in the organization, trading for Marte is one of the only palatable ways that this team could buy, as long as they aren’t over-leveraging the return package to Arizona. This deal feels like the happy medium, especially taking on almost $100 million over the next five seasons (even if that’s a steal AAV-wise for a player of Marte’s caliber).
Why the Diamondbacks would make this trade
Beyond the potential unrest that we already mentioned from Nightengale’s report, it’s a fair question as to why the Diamondbacks would want to make such a move. Especially with their recent performance and surge that has pushed them into postseason contention, Arizona looks the part more of a buyer than a seller — so why would they trade away one of their best players on a reasonable contract?
And you know what, without the reports that the organization has some parts of it that are unhappy with the veteran infielder, this wouldn’t even be a conversation. However, these are the same things we were hearing out Arizona in the offseason, and the fact that it’s June and we’re still seeing similar reports pop up really makes you wonder.
So if we then assume that the Diamondbacks are ultimately and truly just wanting to get value for Marte to reset the clubhouse to some degree, that opens the door for a move like this. They were asking for Mayer in this same deal, when his offensive profile was imperfect at the time even then. If that’s the case, their interest can have only waned but so much for a player who’s 23 years old.
On top of that, the pitching depth in Arizona, especially with a recent setback for Corbin Burnes, leaves a lot to be desired, especially for the future. Bennett could fill in their rotation immediately to upgrade there, while Holobetz has shown some impressive things overall in the minors. Maybe they ask for more, and they very well could, but shedding the entirety of the salary of a player they’re unhappy with and getting this type of value in return would be worthwhile if that’s actually how the team feels about Marte.
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