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ORLANDO — Three years ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks began discussing outfielder Daulton Varsho with the Toronto Blue Jays at the winter meetings in early December. They did not trade Varsho for catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. until Dec. 23.
The same pattern appears to be developing as the Diamondbacks entertain offers for All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte. A trade of Marte, 32, would be more complex than the Varsho deal. And it might take time for teams to warm to the Diamondbacks’ asking price for the switch-hitter, which one rival executive described as a “superstar-type return.”
Marte, 32, is owed $102.5 million over the next six seasons, an amount most in the industry consider quite reasonable, particularly when $41 million is deferred and the payouts do not begin until 10 years after the money is earned. Any team that commits to Marte for that length of time would want to be confident he would blend seamlessly into their clubhouse. As initially reported by the Arizona Republic, some DBacks players had issues with Marte last season.
Marte, distraught over his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., getting burglarized during the All-Star break, missed the first three games after the break while spending time in his native Dominican Republic. At the time, the fate of the Diamondbacks’ season was in the balance. They won the three games without Marte, then lost nine of 10 after he returned and wound up sellers at the trade deadline.
Only after the Arizona Republic published its report in mid-August did Marte apologize, saying the burglary left him “frustrated” and “in a bad spot.” Manager Torey Lovullo and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo defended him publicly, but Marte also drew criticism for taking too many games off in general. He has appeared in more than 140 only once in the past five seasons.
For a team to acquire Marte, it would need to be comfortable with the clubhouse fit and the acquisition cost. The offseason is already more than a month old. At a time when teams are increasingly reluctant to part with young talent, the Diamondbacks might need the market to play out and for clubs to become more desperate.
The Boston Red Sox are among the teams interested in Marte, according to sources briefed on the discussions. Three unidentified clubs are also said to be in the mix. The Diamondbacks, who agreed Monday with right-hander Mike Soroka on a one-year, $7.5 million contract, are seeking young pitching as they await the returns of staff ace Corbin Burnes and relievers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez from Tommy John surgeries.
Trading Marte allows the Diamondbacks to clear payroll and inject talent. While they need not rush or move Marte at all, a deadline of sorts is in effect. After the tenth day of the 2026 season, Marte will gain full no-trade protection as a player with 10 years of service and five consecutive with the same club.
Red Sox operating on multiple fronts
Free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman still appears to be the Red Sox’s No. 1 target, in part because of the defensive upgrade he provided over Rafael Devers. The Sox seem to be pricing every available option, from first baseman Pete Alonso and infielder Bo Bichette in free agency to Marte and Houston Astros corner infielder Isaac Paredes in trades.
Paredes, who is under club control for two more seasons with a projected $9.3 million salary in 2026, is yet another hitter in whom the Red Sox have expressed interest, according to sources briefed on their discussions. He presumably would play first base for the Sox if Bregman returned at third, and the price for him likely would be steep. The Astros, seeking controllable starting pitchers, are interested in one of the Red Sox’s two young lefties, Payton Tolle or Connelly Early.
Of course, the Astros are another club operating on multiple fronts, exploring a trade for Tampa Bay Rays righty Shane Baz and offering center fielder Jake Meyers for other starters. They have spoken to the Pittsburgh Pirates about righty Mike Burrows, but those talks may have cooled since the Pirates acquired outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia from the Red Sox. The Kansas City Royals, dangling lefty Kris Bubic, are another possibility for Meyers, but they are exploring numerous other outfield possibilities as well.
Why the Royals kept Jonathan India
Royals second baseman Jonathan India appeared to be a non-tender candidate before the team last month re-signed him to a one-year, $8 million contract that surprised many in the industry.
Jonathan India hit .233 with 9 home runs, 45 RBIs and an OPS of .669 in 136 games for Kansas City in 2025. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
The move, though, reflected the Royals’ continued need for hitters who get on base, and their belief that India is capable of bouncing back at 29. India played left field, third base and second last season, his first with the Royals after arriving in a trade from his original team, the Cincinnati Reds. In 2026, the Royals plan to use him only at second, and India should be highly motivated in his free-agent year.
An $8 million salary is high for a hitter whose OPS-plus was 11 percent below league average last season. But non-tendering India would have left the Royals with a hole at second base, and the savings would not have dramatically altered their outfield pursuits. They’re shopping for inexpensive types, which is why a deal for Harrison Bader seems unlikely.
Bader, perhaps the top free-agent outfielder after Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, is seeking at least a three-year contract with an AAV between $10 million and $15 million, according to people briefed on his market. The Royals want to add two outfielders at lesser salaries.
Around the horn
*The Pirates’ four-year offer to free-agent designated hitter Kyle Schwarber was in the $120 million range, according to people briefed on the details.
That amount is more than three times the Pirates’ previous record for a free agent, and still is not expected to be enough. To retain Schwarber — and beat out his other reported suitors, including the Red Sox, Reds and New York Mets — the Philadelphia Phillies could go to five years.
The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected Schwarber will receive a five-year, $145 million deal.
*Teams continue to ask the St. Louis Cardinals about left-handed hitters Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar, not to mention Alec Burleson, who is unlikely to move. In a market short on quality right-handed hitters, first baseman Willson Contreras figures to be popular, too.
Contreras, who turns 34 in May, is two and a half years older than Pete Alonso. His career OPS+ is 18 percent above league average, while Alonso’s is 35 percent. But at $36.5 million over the next two seasons, plus a $5 million buyout on a $17.5 million club option, Contreras almost certainly would appeal to teams that prefer a less expensive first baseman than Alonso.
Any trade would require Contreras to waive his full no-trade protection, something he likely would do only for certain clubs. As the Cardinals continue their deconstruction, he and third baseman Nolan Arenado might be more inclined to go.
*Free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco, another hitter drawing interest from the Pirates, might not jump at the chance to play for a club that has not contended in recent years, even if they make him the highest offer.
Polanco, according to a person who knows him, values comfort and winning. He has played for only two teams, the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners. And he has made the playoffs in five of his last nine seasons.
