Seven-year contract extension Ketel Marte signed with the Diamondbacks last April included a five-team no-trade clause, adding an interesting wrinkle to the trade rumors surrounding the former NLCS MVP in recent weeks. As reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Athletics, Cardinals, Giants, Pirates, and Yankees are the five teams listed on Marte’s current list, which can be updated regularly during the season.
There are many reasons why a player might put a club on the no-trade list, and it’s important to note that Marte could end up agreeing to a deal with any of these clubs. There is no obvious geographic connection between the five teams, and while the Yankees were the only team member to reach the 2025 playoffs, the Giants, Pirates, and even the A’s are all looking to compete in 2026. The Cardinals are in a rebuilding mode, so it’s safe to say they weren’t on the hunt for Marte anyway.
It’s interesting that the Pirates and Giants are linked to Marte’s market. Now that Pittsburgh has arrived Brandon Lowe from the Rays in a big change of three teams yesterday, the Bucs may feel that their secondary needs have been solved, although there is a world where Lowe could be the first DH and Marte could be brought in again. Still, there’s so much money left on Marte’s contract that a trade to the budget-conscious Pirates was always seen as a no-brainer, and Marte’s no-trade list would underscore his reluctance to join a team with one winning season in the last decade.
San Francisco has only topped the .500 mark once in the past nine seasons, but the Giants have been very willing to spend in their quest to return to consistent contention. Although ownership is wary of making another long-term financial commitment, Marte’s deal could be considered a bargain, as he would receive more than $102.5MM on a six-year deal if he were a free agent this winter.
Second base is an area of need for the Giants, though perhaps not as pressing as the club’s need for more rotation help. Making a big deal about getting Marte might not be the most important thing, in that case, and there are the added hurdles of securing a Marte trade and the Diamondbacks’ possible reluctance to move the All-Star to a division contender. San Francisco is considered one of the favorite places to explore Brendan Donovan away from the Cardinals, so that could end up being a big step for the Giants to deal with the keystone.
The Giants and Pirates each play in football-friendly areas, which may factor into Marte’s thinking about adding teams to his roster. Sutter Health Park is a big hit, but it’s fair to wonder if Marte doesn’t want to play in a minor league ballpark for at least the next two seasons while the A’s wait for their new ballpark to be built in Las Vegas.
The A’s have a big hole at second base, and getting Marte would add another quality bat to an already stacked lineup. Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilsonagain Shea Langeliers. While the A’s have been very willing to spend over the past year, Marte’s remaining salary would represent a new spending cap for a traditionally low-paying team. Pretentiously, Luis Severino could be included in the Marte trade as salary offset, but that assumes Arizona (who needs rotation help) is interested in Severino after his uninspiring 2025 season.
The Yankees are the most interesting addition to Marte’s list, as one would think he would welcome the opportunity to join an eternal rival. Jazz Chisholm Jr. already plays second base in the Bronx, but Chisholm is a free agent next winter, so Marte would represent a long-term answer at the position. Just hypothetically, any kind of Diamondbacks/Yankees trade involving Marte could see Chisholm go the other way, to give Arizona a one-year break at second or third base.
Resigning Cody Bellinger is thought to be the Yankees’ top priority in the offseason, though New York could focus on other backup programs if Bellinger were to sign elsewhere. Landing Marte would certainly qualify as a valuable Plan B, however his no-trade clause would make any potential trade a moot point.
Amidst all the reports and speculation, it is not clear if the Diamondbacks will actually trade the player who received such a long contract less than a year ago. With Lowe now in Pittsburgh, however, one major second base trade chip is off the board, leaving other teams in need of keystone help perhaps more open to meeting Arizona’s needs for Marte. Beyond the Pirates and Giants, teams like the Mariners, Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Phillies, and Tigers have all reportedly shown some interest in trading Marte this winter.
