The Arizona Diamondbacks are in a tough spot with Ketel Marte. On one hand, Marte is a very good player on a very team-friendly contract, so the last thing they'd want to do is trade him when he's coming off a down year and can be a key contributor on a contender in 2027. On the other hand, Marte has missed games without informing the team in each of the last four seasons. At some point, enough has to be enough in that regard, even with Marte being supremely talented.

Given how he's acted in recent years, the Diamondbacks might want to move on from Marte, but there's a potential issue: the 33-year-old has a full no-trade clause, meaning that if he doesn't want to go anywhere, he won't go anywhere. Chances are, Marte probably won't want to go to any teams that were on his former five-team no-trade list (Yankees, Pirates, Cardinals, Giants, Athletics), and the Diamondbacks won't want to send him to a team that could hurt them (mainly their NL West rivals), or teams that don't have enough to offer. These potential suitors could be appealing enough both to Marte and to Arizona if a trade is the route both sides choose to go down.

7. Kansas City Royals

The time for the Kansas City Royals to get aggressive is right now, while Bobby Witt Jr. is playing at an MVP-caliber level. The Royals have surrounded him with some good players like Vinnie Pasquantino, Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone, but their lineup is incredibly top-heavy, with second base, mostly occupied by Michael Massey, being a weak point. Adding Marte would give the Royals a bona fide star to hit behind Witt in the Royals' order.

There're a couple of reasons why the Royals are at the bottom of the list. First, how willing would Marte be to join a team that just won 69 games in 2026? Second, the Royals' farm system is lacking beyond pitcher Kendry Chourio and outfielder Angeibel Gomez, both of whom I'm skeptical the Royals would trade for Marte, given his off-field concerns.

6. Texas Rangers

Seeing Marte in a Texas Rangers uniform would be a strange and painful sight for Diamondbacks fans, knowing that Texas defeated Arizona in the 2023 World Series, but that was three years ago at this point, and ultimately, the D-Backs need to focus on doing what's best for the team. That means not caring about an American League team if the Rangers are willing to offer the D-Backs a solid deal for Marte.

And they should be eager to do so. The Rangers have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons since winning it all, and their underperforming lineup is a big reason why. The Rangers could use Marte's bat in the middle of their lineup, and with them unwilling to spend much more than usual in payroll, Marte being on such a team-friendly contract would come in handy. Texas finds its way at No. 6, though, because its farm system, assuming Sebastian Walcott is off the table, is not great.

5. Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are an intriguing fit. Despite having Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart entrenched in the middle of their order, the Reds had one of the worst lineups in the league this past season. They could certainly use another middle-of-the-order run producer to hit behind De La Cruz and Stewart, and Marte would be a perfect fit, especially with second base being a spot they'd be wise to upgrade.

Would the notoriously stingy Reds be willing to cover Marte's contract? Would the Diamondbacks choose to send him to an NL foe? These are questions I don't know the answer to, but if they are yes, they could be an under-the-radar suitor for Marte.

4. Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays just followed up their World Series berth with a 79-83 season, missing the playoffs largely due to a lineup that finished dead last in runs scored and home runs. Even in a down year, Marte would've ranked second on the team comfortably in home runs and RBI. He'd give the Jays a second player with legitimate MVP-caliber upside alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The Jays should be eager to make a major splash after how poorly they played this past season, and second base is a position of need given Ernie Clement's second-half struggles. It'll be interesting to see what the Jays would be willing to offer, though, as beyond top prospect JoJo Parker, whom I'm not sure they'd be willing to make available in this kind of deal, their farm system leaves much to be desired.

3. Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox were the team most linked to Marte last offseason, and with how their roster looks right now, there's no reason for them to not be in on him again this winter. Boston's outfield is dynamic and deep, and the same can be said about the Red Sox's pitching staff, but their middle infield isn't great. In an ideal world, Boston would acquire a shortstop, and Marte is not that, but his bat would be such a welcome addition.

To put it simply, the Red Sox need more power in their lineup. They hit the fifth-fewest home runs in the regular season, which explains why they finished in the bottom 10 in runs scored despite getting on base at an above-average clip. Marte, a player who has hit 20+ home runs and driven in 70+ runs in each of the last four years, would provide Boston with needed power along with immense upside. Given that the Red Sox have the money to pay Marte, have displayed past interest and have intriguing prospect capital, they're an easy match.

2. Seattle Mariners

How fun would this be? Ketel Marte played the first two seasons of his career with the Seattle Mariners, and he didn't really do much before being traded to the D-Backs. That's a deal the Mariners would love to have back, and now is their chance to see what the switch-hitting second baseman can do in the Pacific Northwest. The fit is perfect, with both Marte and the Mariners hoping to bounce back following seasons to forget.

When it comes to assets, the Mariners have tons of them. From their young pitching to Cole Young to a really deep farm system, Seattle would make so much sense for a Marte trade. There's only one team that I think makes a bit more sense.

1. Tampa Bay Rays

That team is the defending AL champions, the Tampa Bay Rays. Getting to the World Series was a tremendous accomplishment, but it also felt like a byproduct of the American League being so bad. Don't get me wrong, the Rays were very good, but their lineup lacked power and beyond the dynamic trio of Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero, it lacked depth also. Guys like Liam Hicks and Chandler Simpson can be solid contributors at times, but at the end of the day, this team needs a big bopper, and Marte is that.

Marte would also fill in at second base, a position currently occupied by Richie Palacios, who, while solid, is nowhere near the talent of Marte. The Rays should be aggressive when it comes to acquiring a player locked in long-term at a team-friendly number with Marte's ability, and their farm system is among the best in the league, which is good for Arizona. If the Rays are going to make an offseason splash, this one is one they should strongly consider.