Ketel Marte trade rumors: Diamondbacks insider signals hurdles in potential Red Sox deal

Arizona Diamondbacks insider Jack Sommers doesn't think the Boston Red Sox have good trade chips to make a move on Ketel Marte. Sommers acknowledges that the Red Sox have good pitching prospects and outfield trade chips, but doesn't see them providing a solution to the Snakes if they part ways with Marte.

Sommers has been Sports Illustrated's Diamondbacks beat writer since 2022. He shared his thoughts about the Ketel Marte trade rumors on Thursday's episode of "Snakes Territory".

During the podcast, Sommer's co-host, Jess Friedman, said the Red Sox need a player like Marte as they parted ways with Rafael Devers and also lost Alex Bregman to free agency. He suggested pitching prospects Connelly Early/ Payton Tolle plus Jarren Duran/Wilyer Abreu as potential trade chips.

"The issue from the outfielders is, you know, hitting left-handed pitching, right?" Sommers said (Timestamp: 25:50)"Neither do it, and that kind of limits the Diamondbacks with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. out for, you know, half the year.

"They need some right-handed pop in the outfield. So it would be a little bit better if Durant was a right-handed hitter, but he's not," he added.

The insider acknowledged that Duran is a solid player who provides good defensive value. As such, he picked Duran over Abreu as the better option. Nevertheless, he doesn't think a trade for Marte is possible with the four players mentioned by Friedman.

"Ketel Marte is a superstar," Sommers said. He is one of the premier hitters in baseball. He has good strikeout-to-walk discipline. He's a switch-hitter. He's not a guy that's going to suddenly flop into a late-career platoon where he's unplayable on one side."

"He's at least an average defender (even) if gis base running is not so good anymore. We're talking about a guy that's, you know, easily top 20, arguably top 15, and in his best year. If he can repeat 2024, a top 10 hitter in baseball. I don't even know if Tolle and Abreu or Duran is enough. I really don't."

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Diamondbacks insider points out what Arizona should get for Ketel Marte

In the same conversation on "Snakes Territory," insider Jack Sommers asked co-host Jake Friedman to pick between a potential Marlins offer of Eury Perez and Xavier Edwards and the Red Sox's Jarren Duran and Payton Tolle.

Friedman picked Durran and Tolle. While he acknowledged Perez was more of a sure thing than Tolle, Duran being a difference-maker swayed his decision. Though the trade made sense for Friedman, Sommers was hesitant.

"If they move Ketel Marte, they have to hit a home run," Sommers said (Timestamp: 36:06). "If they talk themselves into some war-on-paper deals or something, you know, they're going to be in trouble. They need impact pitching. They have to get impact pitching if they trade Ketel Marte."

Sommer said that he sees talent in Perez, but pointed out that pitching prospects have broken hearts on too many occasions.