The Boston Red Sox have reportedly been interested in a slew of infielders in free agency and on the trade block this offseason. Boston finally landed a slugger on Sunday night, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the Red Sox agreed to a deal to acquire St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras. But would they look to add more?
Perhaps the next most intriguing option on the market is Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, who has been closely connected to the Red Sox.
But MLB insider Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday that the Red Sox were expected to pull out of their trade talks with the Diamondbacks for Marte.
“The Red Sox, who will be responsible for $33.5 million of the $41.5 million owed to Willson Contreras, are now expected to end trade talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks for 2B Ketel Marte,” Nightengale wrote on X.
The Red Sox have now swung two trades with the Cardinals in a matter of weeks. They’re getting a bit thin in terms of prospect capital, so it would be shocking to see them continue to trade prospects for more big leaguers, especially somebody who would cost as much as Marte.
The Red Sox will likely look to fill the hole at third base in free agency rather than in a trade. Alex Bregman is still on the table as the best option for Boston to go after. The font office could go after Eugenio Suárez if they see fit, too.
Either way, it would be quite shocking to see the Red Sox make another trade for a superstar like Marte.
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