Red Sox, Ketel Marte Rumors Heat Up After Pete Alonso Miss

The winter meetings have been exciting, to say the least, but the Boston Red Sox don't have a massive move to show for them yet.

Boston has been linked to every big-name target available, but it hasn't secured one yet. On the free agency front, both Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber reportedly are off the market. Alex Bregman remains the top option for Boston. Reports pointed to Bregman being the team's "priority" all week, and now it's time to prove it.

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Craig Breslow himself talked about the Bregman pursuit on Wednesday and acknowledged that the club is engaged in his sweepstakes.

The Red Sox have been linked to a handful of stars

Free agency isn't the only avenue that Boston has been linked to All-Star-level players. For example, Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks has been another red-hot name linked to Boston this week. This is so much so to the point that USA Today's Bob Nightengale said on Wednesday after the Red Sox missed out on Alonso that he thinks Boston ultimately will land the three-time All-Star on "Foul Territory."

"I think the Marte market is picking up," Nightengale said. "A few weeks ago, I thought 'Okay, they're not going to trade him.' I think too many people are showing interest. "I think he goes to the Red Sox. I think the Red Sox have got the pitching to get it done. We’ll see what they do with Bregman. I think that Boston is saying ‘ya know what? We’re not gonna wait all day for Bregman. Let’s go get Marte. He'd fit in that clubhouse and Alex Cora would be a perfect manager for him."

Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. If the Alonso sweepstakes showed anything, it's that nothing is certain at all. Sure, an insider like Nightengale on the ground at the winter meetings can make a comment like this, that is exciting. But until a trade actually gets done, no need to get too hyped.

With Alonso, Boston was talked about a ton publicly and on social media. There were plenty of predictions that he would land with the Red Sox and now here we are with him agreeing to join the Baltimore Orioles.

On Tuesday, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported that the Red Sox are viewed as "stronger candidates" to land Marte than the Toronto Blue Jays. But what about the other clubs around the league?

Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reported that Marte is one of the players the Red Sox has shown interest in on the trade block.

Marte would add some more pop, which Boston needs. He had 28 homers in 2025, 36 homers in 2024, and 25 homers in 2023, for example. But he only played second base in 2025. In 2024, he also saw time at third base. In 2023, he also got some time in center field. Marte should be considered if Bregman doesn't return. If Bregman does return and you land Marte, what do you do with Marcelo Mayer? You could always move him, but still, there would be questions.

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