The New York Yankees‘ offseason is underway after losing in the ALDS to the Tampa Bay Rays and could an Arizona Diamondbacks star make sense for them? In the last couple of offseasons, the Yankees have decided to run it back, but after falling short of reaching the World Series in their last two playoff appearances, running the same team back doesn’t sound like a good plan.
As a result, it’s time for the Yankees to shake up their roster rather than run the same core of players, hoping for a different result. Regarding a potential trade, Chris Landers of FanSided floated an intriguing trade idea that would allow New York to land the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte.
When it comes to what the Yankees could give up for Marte, Landers has New York sending: RHP Will Warren, RHP Elmer Rodriguez, and INF Core Jackson.
“It’s hard to gauge exactly what Marte’s value would be right now. The D-backs hold almost zero leverage here; then again, they could always just decide to try and make it work with their star, who remains a very good player at a premium position on a reasonable contract,” Landers wrote in an Oct. 8 article. “Even with all the extenuating factors, it seems hard to believe Arizona wouldn’t be able to get something of real value in return.
“This package would certainly qualify. Warren has settled in as a perfectly respectable No. 4 starter, with real room for growth beyond that. He’s cracked 150 innings in each of the last two seasons, and he’s under team control through 2030. Rodriguez has lost some of his prospect shine, but he also has No. 3 or 4 upside and is ready to compete for a big-league rotation spot right away.”
Arizona Needs Pitching to Bolster Rotation for Next Season
Marte and Arizona had a falling out this past season after disappearing on the team and getting spotted at casinos while on the IL. As a result, the Diamondbacks will likely be looking for a shake-up of their own.
The Diamondbacks star hit a .249 batting average with 140 hits, 22 homers, 76 RBIs, and 78 runs scored in 141 games, per StatMuse. Nonetheless, the Yankees will need to ask themselves whether the player is worth it.
Meanwhile, from Arizona’s perspective, not only do they probably want to cut ties with Marte, but they also need starting pitching, which the Yankees could provide them with.
“Arizona needs pitching, and fast,” Landers added in his article. Their current 2027 rotation projects as Corbin Burnes (assuming he’s healthy), Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt and then a pair of righties who had ERAs pushing 5 this season in Merrill Kelly and Ryne Nelson. That’s not great for a team with legitimate playoff aspirations.”
Should the Yankees Add an Older, Expensive Player?
Another aspect that the Yankees should have to consider is the age and contract, as Marte is 32 and his average salary next season will be $13,750,000, per Spotrac. Still, that average salary will take a significant increase from the 2028 to the 2030 season.
However, if the Yankees want to win now and take advantage of the Aaron Judge window, then this is a potential move to consider.
Over his 12-year MLB career, Marte has a .277 batting average, 1,413 hits, 193 homers, 663 RBIs, and 766 runs scored, per StatMuse. Furthermore, he has won 2 Silver Slugger awards and 1 League Championship MVP award.
Yankees Handed Intriguing Trade Idea Involving D’Backs’ Ketel Marte