Rays Have Reportedly Had Discussions With Diamondbacks for All-Star Slugger

Could the Tampa Bay Rays pull off a blockbuster trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks?

Apr 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A detailed view of an Arizona Diamondbacks hat at the game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park. | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

With the winter meetings coming to an end, the Tampa Bay Rays will be continuing to try to improve their team before the start of the 2026 season. 

At the winter meetings, there was no shortage of news surrounding the Rays and other teams. Some of the top free agents ended up signing as the offseason rolled on, and Tampa Bay was a team that made an addition as well. 

While the signing of Steven Matz might not be as flashy as some of the other moves made, he is coming off a great season as a relief pitcher now and will help improve the Rays’ bullpen following Pete Fairbanks' going to free agency. 

Now, Tampa Bay will be continuing to try to find some ways to improve its roster. They do have a few notable needs, but just simply getting better seems to be the goal. Recently, there has been some talk about them being linked to a star slugger from the National League. 

Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic recently reported that the Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks have had discussions on a potential blockbuster deal involving Ketel Marte in exchange for Shane Baz and Ryan Pepiot. 

Potential Blockbuster Deal Looming?

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Even though it doesn’t appear like anything is overly close for a deal coming together, it is interesting that the two sides have started discussions. Marte is an exciting name that has had some rumors surrounding him, and he would be an impactful addition. 

Marte is coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons and was third in the NL MVP voting in 2024. Last year, he slashed .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs and 72 RBI. At 32 years old, he is still very much in his prime, and he would be the type of impact player that Tampa Bay could use to try to keep up in the American League East. 

While the two sides might be having some early discussions, a major deal like this would certainly take some time. However, it is interesting to see that the Rays would be willing to move on from two starting pitchers for the All-Star slugger. If that ends up being the case, it will further their need to add a couple of arms in free agency. 

Overall, Marte is a fantastic talent who would be a massive upgrade to the lineup. With him being under team control as well for the next couple of campaigns, it’s a player that certainly makes sense for the Rays.