The Cleveland Guardians have work to do this offseason to ensure the offense gets better and this run of early playoff exits stops. Cleveland got hot in the second half to snag the AL Central crown down the stretch, but the Guardians fell flat in the Wild Card round due to their lackluster lineup that desperately needs some more power.
The lack of offensive firepower has been an issue for years as perennial MVP candidate Jose Ramirez continues to carry the team year after year. It’s still speculation since it is early in the offseason, but one analyst recently threw out quite the enticing name for Guardians fans to look out for in trade talks.
The Winter meetings are in full effect, and the Guardians have been quiet thus far. That being said, ESPN’s Andre Knott stopped by ESPN Cleveland recently and suggested that superstar second baseman Ketel Marte could be on their radar.
“When we were in Arizona this year, there were a lot of rumors that the Diamondbacks had soured on him. Marte is 32 years old. He’s owed $102.5 million over the next six seasons. It’s an amount most in the industry consider quite reasonable, particularly when $41 million of it is deferred.”
.@DreKnott has a name for Guardians fans to watch in trade talks: Ketel Marte 👀 pic.twitter.com/6yvdVBJmHi
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) December 10, 2025
With how productive Marte is and how much of a bargain his contract is, he’ll cost a ton to pry from Arizona. The D’Backs are said to be looking for controllable starting pitching in return, as they are set to lose Zac Gallen and will be without Corbin Burnes in 2026.
Cleveland has some arms that could entice them, but it will still hurt to meet the asking price. Marte’s presence at second base would also bring up questions about how he fits alongside Travis Bazzana, who is knocking at the door of reaching the big leagues and is seen as this franchise’s long-term solution at the keystone.
It’s a fun idea and would make sense for the Guardians financially, but this is unlikely simply due to the fact that the Guardians rarely make splashes this big. However, it would be exactly what the team needs.
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