The Tampa Bay Rays have been busy over the past 24 hours, trading starter Shane Baz, second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-hander Mason Montgomery for prospects and draft picks. The Rays have made it known that they are interested in Arizona Diamondbacks superstar second baseman Ketel Marte.
They may have just made a trade for Marte possible.
Tampa Bay was ranked as having the 10th best farm system according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo back in August. These last 24 hours have undoubtedly made the Rays better than that.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Rays have more talent to deal with than they did 24 hours ago, going on to say that the Diamondbacks have been listening to offers on Marte and that Arizona and Tampa Bay have made five trades in the last eight-plus years.
What is Arizona Looking For?
According to Morosi, among others, the Diamondbacks are reportedly looking for young MLB-ready pitching as the headliner for any Marte deal.
Arizona, even after bringing back starter Merrill Kelly, as well as signing Michael Soroka, is in dire need of starting and relief pitching.
The Diamondbacks in 2025 had a team ERA of 4.49, good for 23rd in the majors. As of now, Kelly, Soroka, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt make up the starting rotation.
That rotation offers little confidence for 2026 as of now, with Kelly and Nelson being the only arms with an ERA less than 4.50 in 2025. Corbin Burnes will likely join the team in the second half after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2025.
The bullpen is even less inspiring after seeing high-leverage relievers Justin Martinez and AJ Puk go down with elbow injuries of their own in 2025.
Arizona must get impact pitching in any trade involving Marte.
What Could Arizona Get In Return?
After the last 24 hours, the Rays now have three pitchers in the top 10 of their system.
Brody Hopkins, their top pitching prospect, was acquired in the Randy Arozarena trade. In 25 games for the Rays’ Double-A team in 2025 (116 innings), Hopkins had a 2.72 ERA with 141 strikeouts.
Hopkins possesses a large repertoire of pitches, but often struggles with command, as shown by his 60 walks in 2025. He would likely be one of the pieces in any deal for Marte.
Anderson Brito, part of the three-team deal involving Lowe, is also a candidate to be part of the Marte deal. In High-A ball, Brito had a 3.28 ERA in 49.1 innings for the Houston Astros, striking out 65 batters. Also participating in the Arizona Fall League, Brito struck out 22 in 11.1 innings.
Michael Forret, part of the Baz trade, had a 1.58 ERA in 74 innings with 91 strikeouts between High-A and Double-A. He possesses three plus-pitches and could be a strong trade chip.
Forret and Hopkins have ETA’s of 2026, according to MLB Pipeline.
Any trade involving Marte will be costly. But Arizona must sell to the highest bidder, and the team with the best pitching to offer, to justify trading a superstar like Marte. The Rays could be that team.
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