O’s talk to D-backs about Marte; no deal imminent (source)

BALTIMORE -- The Ketel Marte trade rumors are picking up steam again now that Hot Stove season is in full force. Would the D-backs be open to moving the 33-year-old second baseman?

If so, it appears the Orioles could end up among the potential suitors.

The O’s have dialogued with the D-backs regarding Marte, a source told MLB.com on Saturday evening, though no deal was imminent at the time. Neither club confirmed the discussions.

There wouldn’t immediately be a natural fit for Marte on Baltimore’s roster. In fact, the Orioles’ infield picture is so logjammed that president of baseball operations Mike Elias said at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas earlier this week that the club has talked with some infielders about potentially getting work in the outfield this offseason and in Spring Training.

But the O’s have shown before they’re willing to acquire a top player and then reconstruct their roster around that star. They didn’t need a first baseman last offseason, yet still signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal (a move that has worked out quite well so far).

Marte is a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner who has spent his entire 12-year MLB career with Arizona. He’s a career .277 hitter with 301 doubles, 46 triples, 193 home runs, 663 RBIs and an .815 OPS over 1,371 big league games.

Although Marte wasn’t quite as productive in 2026, he still had a solid season, hitting .249 with 31 doubles, three triples, 22 homers, 76 RBIs and a .748 OPS in 141 games.

However, Marte had a brief stint on the restricted list in mid-August after he did not show up for a game at Fenway Park. He rejoined the D-backs about two weeks later, apologizing to manager Torey Lovullo and addressing his teammates. Marte went on to play the rest of the season without any issues.

Arizona listened to trade offers for Marte last offseason, according to MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. Now, the buzz has picked back up since the end of the 2026 season.

“I just think I need to be open to making adjustments to what the roster looks like,” D-backs GM Mike Hazen told reporters earlier this week at the General Managers Meetings.

Marte has 10-and-5 rights (10 years of MLB service time, spending the past five consecutive years with the same team), so he can veto any trade scenario that is proposed.

It could take a sizable offer for any team to land Marte, though he still has four guaranteed seasons remaining on the six-year, $116.5 million extension he signed with Arizona in 2025. He also has an $11.5 million player option for the 2031 season.

The Orioles have shown an increased willingness to spend big since private equity billionaire David Rubenstein and his ownership group purchased the team in March 2024. So, they’re in a position to take on some of a larger contract, if they decide they want to do so.

Baltimore also has plenty of trade chips. Its farm system has been reloaded with highly ranked prospects, and the club could even be open to moving any player on its big league roster, other than Alonso.

Marte has experience in center field, but he has spent most of his career at second base. Jackson Holliday has been the O’s starting second baseman the past two seasons and would be the favorite to start there if the roster remained as is.

The Orioles also have Jordan Westburg and Blaze Alexander, who are both capable of playing second and third, while Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand handled most of the reps at the hot corner in 2026. It’s a crowded roster, even before adding someone like Marte.

Of course, these discussions between the O’s and D-backs may not end up in a trade. But it’s clear that Baltimore is exploring opportunities for ways to try to improve its roster for 2027, after the team missed the postseason each of the past two years.