Red Sox-Diamondbacks Ketel Marte Trade Buzz Won't Fully Disappear

Is there such a thing as non-buyer's remorse?

May 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) gestures as he scores a run against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

To some degree, the Boston Red Sox had their shot to trade for Ketel Marte in the offseason. How close they got is up for debate, but the only thing that matters is it didn't happen.

Marte, the Arizona Diamondbacks' three-time All-Star second baseman, gained his full no-trade clause via 10-and-5 rights in April. He had a rough March and April, but surged to an .869 OPS in May and still looks like a top-three player at his position across Major League Baseball.

Does it make sense for the Red Sox to still dream about adding Marte in trades this summer? One Boston insider proposed that possibility on Sunday, and it felt a lot more like wishful thinking than a link to keep watching.

Is Marte still a realistic Red Sox target?

Here was Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald's case for the Red Sox pursuing Marte this summer in a scenario where the team doesn't fall out of the playoff race entirely by late July.

"The most impactful infielder who could feasibly be traded is Arizona’s Ketel Marte, who was on the trade block this offseason but ultimately wasn’t moved," Cerullo wrote.

"The second baseman is a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger who has topped 25 home runs in each of his last three seasons, and he was recently named National League Player of the Week. Marte is also a switch hitter and would immediately become Boston’s biggest power threat."

Marte is 32 and remains under contract through the end of the 2031 season, including a player option at the end of his deal. The only reasons Arizona might still consider moving him are if they think that deal is destined to age poorly, or if Marte is causing more friction in the clubhouse than we see from the outside.

But ultimately, the Diamondbacks are in a better position to buy and push for the playoffs than the Red Sox are right now. Just because Marte perfectly fits what the Red Sox would love to have from a hitter at the deadline doesn't make this a strong enough possibility for fans to get their hopes up.

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