The trade rumors, discussions and reports continue to trickle in regarding Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte.

Marte's name is back in the national spotlight for a reason. For the second year in a row, Marte was notably and publicly absent from a game and had to apologize to his teammates.

After that drama cycle surfaced, it would make sense that the trade rumors are back. Arizona is reportedly listening. Nothing has progressed beyond rumors, but there is a new one.

The latest report links Marte to the Baltimore Orioles.

Ketel Marte linked to Baltimore Orioles in latest report

Insider Mike Rodriguez, who previously reported Geraldo Perdomo's extension with the Diamondbacks ahead of 2025, had this to say about Marte and the Orioles:

"According to my sources, one of the teams most interested in acquiring second baseman Ketel Marte is the Baltimore Orioles. The team is currently in discussions with the Arizona Diamondbacks," Rodriguez wrote.

Earlier Saturday, MLB's Steve Gilbert reported that there was "nothing new" with regard to a potential Marte deal. That does not mean, however, that the Orioles aren't interested in acquiring the star second baseman.

Baltimore's second base situation in 2026 was one of the worst in baseball.

Primarily manned by Jackson Holliday and Jeremiah Jackson, second base was only worth a .629 OPS (which ranked 26th in the majors), a .277 on-base percentage (dead last), and 17 home runs (ninth) to the Orioles. They could certainly use an upgrade at that position, and even Marte's relatively frustrating down year would have surpassed those numbers by a solid margin.

Marte hit to the tune of a .249/.316/.432 triple slash line and a .748 OPS with 22 homers. It certainly wasn't an abysmal season by any means, but sat well below his previous three seasons' worth of MVP-level offensive play.

The off-field noise likely paints him in a more negative light to interested clubs, but that doesn't mean a trade can't or won't happen in the coming weeks.

As it stands, nothing indicates the Diamondbacks are deep into negotiations with Baltimore or any other team for Marte's services. But with a looming lockout on the horizon, it would not be a shock to see any potential deal materialize quickly.

Arizona also has some motivating factors to get a trade done soon; AZCentral's Nick Piecoro previously reported the D-backs would like to "finalize the Marte situation sooner than
later, allowing them to address the rest of their needs after that."

Whether or not that means Marte heads to Baltimore remains to be seen. But that is certainly a team to watch, depending on what they are willing to part with in order to acquire Arizona's second baseman.