Ketel Marte’s Availability Presents Opportunity for Cubs to Bolster Lineup
Ketel Marte has become one of the best infielders in baseball, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to the World Series in 2023. His power as a switch-hitter has made him a household name in Arizona, which makes his potential availability this offseason something to keep an eye on. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Monday that the Diamondbacks are “definitely motivated in moving him with $71 million remaining through 2030.”
Marte’s contract carries an average annual value of just over $19.4 million over the next five seasons, then has an $11.5 million player option for the 2031 season. That might not seem like something he’d pick up, but he’ll be 37 by then and might see that as a safer bet than free agency. Marte’s actual salary has been well under his AAV so far and will remain so through 2027, when he’s only set to earn $12 million, but it then jumps to $20 million in 2028 and $22 million in each of the last two years of the deal.
The Diamondbacks would like to move Marte before mid-April, when he reaches 10-5 rights and gets full veto power over any trade. For those who aren’t familiar, that milestone comes when a player has 10 years of service time and five continuous years with the same team. Trading him this winter gives the D-backs a lot more freedom, plus the team that acquires him won’t need to worry about him getting those 10-5 rights.
Kyle Tucker‘s inevitable departure leaves the Cubs with a hole to fill in their lineup, and Marte would do just that. The 32-year-old is coming off of yet another fantastic season in 2025 after finishing third in the MVP voting in 2024 by tying his career high with 6.3 fWAR. He’s been selected to the All-Star Game three times in his career and has won the NL Silver Slugger at second base in each of the last two seasons.
KETEL MARTE COMES UP CLUTCH 💥
He ties the game in the 9th with a 2-run homer! pic.twitter.com/PBoMEMJF1U
— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2025
Getting on base is one of Marte’s best skills, as evidenced by a career .351 OBP. His 11.5% walk rate in 2025 was among the best in baseball and marked his fifth consecutive season of improvement in that area, plus he struck out at just a 14.9% clip. It might seem odd to spend big on a second baseman when they already have Nico Hoerner, who just won a Gold Glove at the position, but moving Seiya Suzuki back to right field opens a spot at DH.
Suzuki has had his defensive problems in the outfield, but the Cubs seem willing to use him out there again after a rather solid performance replacing the injured Tucker late in the season. Marte has logged nearly 2,300 career innings at short, so Craig Counsell could use him to give Hoerner and Dansby Swanson a little rest from time to time.
The Diamondbacks need young pitching, which was made clear at the deadline when Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly were made available on the trade market. While the Cubs may not have any pitchers on the major league roster to trade, righty prospect Jaxon Wiggins would probably be an attractive option as part of a return. Given how reluctant the Cubs have been to spend big in free agency, this could be a way for them to add value with a known commodity who still has several strong years ahead of him.
