Batting Around: Will the Diamondbacks trade Ketel Marte? Which landing spots are most likely?

Throughout the offseason the CBS Sports MLB experts will bring you a weekly Batting Around roundtable, breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Last week we debated the best player who would get traded at the Winter Meetings. This week we're going to tackle one of the offseason's hottest trade candidates.

Will the Diamondbacks trade Ketel Marte? Where will he end up?

R.J. Anderson: I don't have a great read on the situation, but I'm leaning toward yes for a few reasons. Foremost, I think there's enough interest that someone will step up and make them an offer they have trouble resisting. Beyond the market forces, it's generally not a good sign when clubhouse irritation is being leaked about one of the club's best players during a playoff push -- a lot of the times this stuff is dealt with internally or otherwise kept quiet. I'm not taking sides here on who was right or wrong, just noting that the public knowing about this entire spat is a red flag. There's also the reality that, from a baseball-only perspective, Marte is already 32 and likely nearing a decline despite being under contract for another five years (at rates well below his market price, mind you). Doesn't mean he's about to crater or that the D-backs should eject as soon as possible. But, when you add all of that together, I think there's probably a better than 50% chance of something happening before Opening Day. As for landing spot, I'll say the Blue Jays.

Matt Snyder: I'll go with a Mariners reunion. One might recall that the Mariners traded Marte to the Diamondbacks prior to the 2017 season. Back then, he was just a youngster with high upside. Now he's a star. The Mariners are coming off their closest opportunity to make the World Series in franchise history and just bringing back Josh Naylor isn't quite the splash they need this offseason. Marte fills the void at second base left by Jorge Polanco hitting free agency and he fits nicely in the batting order in several different spots (he could hit anywhere from 1-5 for them, really).

Dayn Perry: I'll be the one to say he doesn't get traded and winds up back in Arizona, at least to start the 2026 season. I understand the D-backs' desire to add more pitching, but an aspiring contender should tread carefully when it comes to parting with a player of Marte's caliber, and that's the case even if soft decline sets in. As well, the reported availability of Brendan Donovan and Brandon Lowe on the trade market perhaps dampens what the D-backs can expect in return for an All-Star like Marte. I'll say they revisit discussions leading up the trade deadline but hang onto him for now.

Mike Axisa: There's too much smoke right now for me to think Marte stays in Arizona. This is their last chance to trade him without his permission before his 10-and-5 full no-trade protection kicks in 10 days into next season (that's 10 years in the league, including the last five with the same team), and I think they'll work to get it done. I'm going to go off the board a bit and say the Reds, who have the pitching the D-backs seem to want in return, as well as what seems like an appetite to spend after reaching the postseason. Marte's reasonably priced (up to $102.5 million over the next six years), which works well for Cincinnati. I think Marte gets traded and I'll go with the Reds as his next team.