Crafting Hypothetical Trade Proposal for Rays to Acquire Ketel Marte

Here is a hypothetical trade proposal for the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire Ketel Marte

Sep 28, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) looks skyward after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have been the subject of a number of rumors, but one of them has them landing a star player to improve the offense. 

It has been a reasonably busy offseason, as expected, for the Rays. This is a team that is trying to improve for 2026 and be a contender in the American League East. Due to the talent that is in the division, Tampa Bay knows that they are going to have to have some things go right in order to accomplish that. 

While the team does have a couple of clear needs, they also simply want to get more talent. Even though a lot of the rumors surrounding them have been about them trading All-Star slugger Brandon Lowe, there has also been some noise surrounding them and the Arizona Diamondbacks having a conversation about All-Star Ketel Marte. 

Considering the type of talent that Marte is, acquiring him wouldn’t be cheap for Tampa Bay. However, if they want to make a splash, they have a lot of resources. Here is a hypothetical trade proposal for the Rays to get a deal done. 

Rays Get: Ketel Marte

Diamondbacks Get: Ryan Pepiot, Shane Baz, Aidan Smith

Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Even though Arizona just recently signed Merrill Kelly to a deal, this is a team that is still seeking starting pitching, and both Pepiot and Baz could help in that area for the team. The two starters could make a positive impact right away, which is something the Diamondbacks would want. 

If they did elect to trade Marte, it seems like the team is still going to want to be trying to be a contender but have their eyes on reshaping the roster a bit. Furthermore, Smith is a solid outfield prospect for Tampa Bay and would give them a young player to develop. 

For the Rays, adding Marte would give them another really talented infield and a potential game-changer for the lineup. It would be interesting to see whether or not they would keep Lowe or potentially move him if they did acquire Marte, but that would be a good problem to have. 

In 2024, the slugger finished third for the National League MVP, showcasing his elite upside. While a lot of things would have to come together to get a deal done, Tampa Bay does have good assets if they wanted to pull off a blockbuster deal.