The Boston Red Sox have been one of the few teams in on trading for Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, as he could fulfill many needs for them. However, it seems they may have a familiar face ready to fight them for Marte.
According to MLB insider Francys Romero, the Sox are actively working on a trade for Marte, and so is their division rival: the Tampa Bay Rays.
Hearing that both the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays are actively pushing to reach a deal with Ketel Marte, per sources. Nothing close so far,” Romero tweeted.
The Rays just traded their starting second baseman Brandon Lowe today, so Marte fulfills an immediate need for them as well. However, they are in a less favorable spot than Boston at the moment, which the Sox need to capitalize on.
This past season, Marte slashed.283/.376/.517/.893 with 28 doubles, 28 home runs, and 72 RBI in 126 games played. He would become another offensive anchor for the team and take some of the burden off of Roman Anthony and Alex Bregman, should he re-sign.
The Sox need to be very careful about not overpaying for Marte, but getting him on the team at this point in the offseason is a must. This will be especially true if they lose Bregman to another team. Also, if they get Marte, it gives them much more leverage in negotiations with Bregman.
Hopefully, they realize this and finally put an offer on the table that the DBacks can’t refuse.
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