The next big trade Red Sox must make is right in front of them after Sonny Gray deal

The Boston Red Sox just made their first significant move of the offseason by trading for Sonny Gray, but what’s next?

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Boston’s front office are “shifting their attention to an impact bat at this juncture,” per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. Re-signing Alex Bregman would appear to be a top priority for Boston in that regard, as would a possible pursuit of Pete Alonso. 

However, not enough attention has been paid to a different bat altogether that would inject Boston’s lineup with massive talent: Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, who is reportedly available on the trade market. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi revealed on Tuesday that the Diamondbacks are “actively listening” on Marte. Morosi estimated a “50/50” chance that Marte is moved.

Marte turned 32 in October. He’s at the peak of his powers right now with a 2025 All-Star season to show for it. He slashed .283/ .376/ .517/ .893 with 28 home runs and 72 RBI in 126 games. Since 2023, Marte ranks ninth in wRC+ and 13th in fWAR among position players. Over the last three seasons, on average, Marte has tallied an .883 OPS with 30 homers.

The Red Sox should trade for Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte

That’s an elite bat, no doubt, and while Marte presents injury concerns, his affordable contract makes up for it. Factoring in his player option for 2031, Marte has $103.5 million left on his deal over the next six years, amounting to a $17.25 million average annual value (AAV). That’s a massive bargain for a guy who finished third in National League MVP voting in 2024.

The Red Sox have the prospect capital needed to skip to the front of the line in the Marte sweepstakes. Two elite prospects paired with one of Boston’s outfielders for Marte feels realistic, and this would also free Boston of its problematic outfield logjam.

Some fans are already speculating that Boston could send Jarren Duran and prospects to Arizona for Marte. That would be the best-case scenario for the Red Sox, but even if the Diamondbacks asked for Wilyer Abreu instead of Duran, Boston should deeply consider pulling the trigger if it's serious about winning now.

Then there’s the Marcelo Mayer element. Acquiring Marte would push Mayer out of an everyday role, assuming Bregman re-signs. Despite Mayer’s considerable talent, this isn’t a reason not to go after Marte. For one, Mayer hasn’t shown that he can stay healthy for a full season, so why would you avoid trading for a superstar to protect Mayer’s 162-game status?

Secondly, Boston would be able to find playing time for Mayer, even if Marte and Bregman are acquired. Keep in mind that those two players and Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story are all north of 30. They’ll need rest from time to time, and (knock on wood) have all been injury-prone (Bregman less so, but he did miss a lot of time in 2025).

Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been known to seamlessly incorporate infielders like David Hamilton into the season-long depth chart. Why not significantly raise the floor of Boston’s “fifth infielder” by making it Mayer? There are a handful of reasons for the Red Sox to go after Marte, and outside of his injury history, there aren’t many reasons not to.