The Boston Red Sox have had an interesting offseason to this point. While they have been very active on the trade market, swinging deals for Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo, and Willson Contreras, they are the only team in the league that has yet to sign a free agent to a major-league contract this offseason.
While there is still time for that to change, the Red Sox’s lack of urgency this offseason could end up biting them in the butt. Boston is continually being linked to several big-name targets, but it appears one of them, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, has come off the board after his team issued a big update on his status moving forward.
Red Sox Miss Out on Ketel Marte Trade After Latest Diamondbacks Update
After making a surprise playoff appearance in 2025, the Sox entered the offseason with some positive momentum. The team has a rising crop of young stars set to take over the major-league squad, and the front office was armed with ample cap space after trading away Rafael Devers midway through last season.
As noted above, though, the team’s work so far this offseason has been lackluster. While the starting rotation has been shored up, the bullpen is lacking left-handed options, and the lineup needs another big bat or two if the team is truly intent on making a World Series push in 2026. With things not going the team’s way in free agency, Marte was a logical trade target for the team.
With Arizona inching towards a rebuild, its front office was reportedly listening to offers for Marte, who is fresh off the third All-Star campaign of his career. However, after not getting the sort of offers they were looking for in exchange for Marte, the Diamondbacks have reportedly decided that they will not be trading Marte this offseason.
“Ketel Marte will remain with the Diamondbacks, source tells The Athletic. He will not be traded,” MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported in a post on X.
Who Should the Red Sox Target After Missing Out on Ketel Marte?
Getty ImagesRed Sox Chief of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow
Frustrations are high in Boston, as fans want the team to load up and make a championship push. And while it certainly has the assets to do so, it remains stuck in a holding pattern. Ownership doesn’t want to spend big on free agents, instead preferring to keep costs down and use its newly improved farm system to bring players to town. It got the Sox to the playoffs last season, but that’s not going to cut it in Boston.
With Marte seemingly no longer up for grabs, the Red Sox may have to turn to free agency in order to improve their roster. Alex Bregman is still on the open market, and re-signing him would seem to make quite a bit of sense for both sides. Regardless of who the team’s targets end up becoming, it’s clear Boston still needs help, particularly on offense, and how the next few weeks of the offseason unfold will likely determine how far the team can go in 2026.
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