After Alex Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs, the "perfect" fits for the Boston Red Sox's infield vacancy all but disappeared. Another star infielder had to come off the market for that to be true.
The Red Sox had been many times linked to Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte on the trade market. The veteran is one of the best second basemen in the game, with rock-solid defense and a consistent, powerful bat to match. Many recent reports have suggested that Arizona has pulled him from the trade market to focus on its own offensive needs (unfortunately for Boston).
However, MLB insider Jim Bowden seems to believe the Red Sox could land Marte after all. They may not be the only team on the D-Backs' phone lines.
"If the Red Sox don’t land Eugenio Suárez in free agency and can’t find another bat, they could easily circle back and make another run at Marte, as could the Yankees, Tigers and Phillies, all of whom expressed interest this offseason," Bowden wrote in his January 27 column for The Athletic (subscription required).
MLB insider believes Red Sox may be able to circle back to trade for Ketel Marte in final weeks of offseason
Bowden wrote that Arizona's stance on not trading Marte could be changed "with a robust offer," which would be easier said than done for the Sox. Craig Breslow has already made 10 trades this offseason and much of the team's tradeable pitching depth has been depleted.
The Red Sox and Diamondbacks also reportedly discussed a potential Marte trade for quite some time and Boston never met the asking price. Some reports mentioned that Arizona wanted top pitching prospects like Connelly Early and Payton Tolle in exchange for Marte, neither of whom the Red Sox have been willing to give up. Marcelo Mayer's name has also reportedly come up in discussions, but Boston absolutely can't move him without having Bregman in the infield for the next five years.
Bowden's assumption that a massive offer could re-open the door for a Marte is contradictory to the statement D-Backs GM Mike Hazen gave to reporter Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. In Hazen's words, he never saw a Marte trade as likely this offseason.
"Just sort of reaffirming what I've been saying the entire offseason, like my expectation was this wasn't going to happen. I felt like I had to do my job just to listen to what people had to say. He's a superstar player for us, and has been for a long time, and is going to continue to be," he said.
Red Sox fans should take Bowden's assertion that they may be able to make a last-minute trade for Marte with a grain of salt, but it's reassuring to hear that there could be a possibility of a trade at the last minute. Besides Bregman, Marte is the best fit for Boston's infield given his power, good defense and veteran status, and landing him would be the move that pushes the roster into a better place than it was last season.