The Arizona Diamondbacks face a choice of which infielder to build around for the next five years. Their two options are to either hold onto Ketel Marte or sign Alex Bregman after dealing Marte to address holes on the pitching staff.
In ideal circumstances, the Diamondbacks wouldn’t be entertaining offers for their All-Star second baseman. Marte has been the game’s best player at the keystone, producing 16.0 bWAR since the start of the 2023 season. That stretch includes an NLCS MVP and a third-place finish in the 2024 National League MVP race.
But injuries and tightening purse strings may force their hand. The Diamondbacks will be without their top two relievers, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk, for the first half of the 2026 season. All the top closers have already found new teams this offseason. Marte now becomes the club’s best option to land the type of back-of-the-bullpen reliever that moves the needle forward for them.
The Diamondbacks’ Interest in Alex Bregman
The Diamondbacks have been linked to Bregman since December 16. The 31-year-old lives in Scottsdale during the offseason. With the 10-year veteran raising a young family, there are perks to signing in Arizona. The Diamondbacks are the only MLB team who play their home games in the same metropolitan area as their Spring Training facility.
It wouldn’t be the first time a Phoenix resident tried to sign a lucrative deal to go home. Corbin Burnes, another Scott Boras client, landed a six-year deal to join the Diamondbacks last winter.
MLB insider Jon Heyman listed the Diamondbacks as one of the four teams interested in Bregman. On his live stream with Bleacher Report, he also named the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Cubs as potential suitors. Heyman says that Bregman is seeking a five-year deal in his second trip in free agency.
Arizona Sports radio host Dan Bickley created a stir on December 26. Bickley claimed on his show, Bickley & Marrotta, that the Diamondbacks signing Bregman is a “only a matter of time”. Later that day, John Gambadoro clarified on the Bregman rumors on Burns & Gambo, calling it a long shot but not to rule out the possibility.
Gambadoro also noted that the Diamondbacks’ signing of Bregman is “1000%” tied to if they can get a return for Marte. He reported that the club has not gotten an acceptable offer for the All-Star second baseman.
Potential Suitors for Ketel Marte
Gambadoro reported that the Diamondbacks are looking for two MLB-ready pitchers: one starter and one reliever.
Heyman named the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds as teams targeting Marte in the trade market. Both clubs fit the starter and reliever combo that the Diamondbacks are seeking on paper. Given that the Reds are a competitor for a Wild Card spot with Arizona, they’d have to pay a higher premium to land Marte.
The Reds have plenty of controllable starters between Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, and Nick Lodolo. Cincinnati would likely be most willing to surrender Lodolo, who only has two years of control. In terms of relievers, the Diamondbacks should look at Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft, and Connor Phillips.
Santillan is the best fit of the three if they want a proven reliever with three years of control. He pitched to a 2.44 ERA and seven saves in 2025. Alternatively, if they wanted a larger upside play, they could turn to Phillips. He averaged 98.1 MPH on his four-seamer and posted a 32.7% strikeout rate in his first extended look as a reliever.
It doesn’t appear that Seattle is as strong a trade partner as initially thought. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reported on December 28 that the Mariners have no intention of trading any of their young starters. Divish adds that Arizona asked for “an established starting pitcher and multiple high-level prospects” for Marte.
The unfortunate part is that it’s difficult to convince contending clubs to part with controllable starters or backend relievers. Those are the type of pitchers who make a difference in the postseason. But at the same time, there aren’t many hitters who can provide the same offensive impact that Marte has the last three seasons.
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