Ketel Marte No-Trade Protection: Teams on His Block List

The Arizona Diamondbacks locked up Ketel Marte on a seven-year extension. They want to solidify the core of a club built to contend, but that doesn’t mean his future is entirely settled.

A carefully constructed no-trade clause, a shifting trade market, and the needs of multiple contenders have turned Marte’s contract into one of the most intriguing storylines of the upcoming offseason.

Inside Ketel Marte’s No-Trade Clause and Contract Value

Marte’s long-term pact with Arizona features a five-team no-trade clause. That adds both leverage and complexity to any potential deal.

For a player in his prime, on a contract many evaluators already consider a potential bargain, that list matters a great deal.

The Five Teams Marte Can Block

According to Ken Rosenthal, Marte’s no-trade clause covers the Athletics, Cardinals, Giants, Pirates, and Yankees. This list isn’t static—Marte can update it every year, giving him ongoing control over his potential destinations.

He doesn’t have to block every deal, though. Marte can approve a trade to any of those five teams if he likes the situation at the time.

It’s less a hard barrier and more a tool for the second baseman to shape his own market. From a value standpoint, Marte’s deal could age as one of the more team-friendly contracts at his position.

As free-agent prices for middle infielders keep climbing, a switch-hitting, middle-of-the-order bat with defensive versatility under long-term control is exactly the type of asset front offices covet.

Why Some Listed Teams Are Unlikely Suitors

Not every club on Marte’s no-trade list lines up as a realistic landing spot. Some are headed in different competitive directions, and others are constrained by payroll or internal priorities.

Cardinals and Pirates: Limited Fit, Limited Flexibility

The St. Louis Cardinals seem to be in a transitional phase. They’re leaning into a retool or rebuild instead of splurging prospects and dollars on a veteran second baseman.

Even without the no-trade clause, they look like an unlikely suitor. The Pittsburgh Pirates have been loosely connected to Marte in the past, but their recent acquisition of Brandon Lowe changes the calculus.

With Lowe in the fold, the urgency at second base has diminished. Add Marte’s sizable remaining salary to Pittsburgh’s traditionally conservative payroll approach, and the Pirates become a poor financial fit for such a move.

Giants: Need Meets Division Politics

The San Francisco Giants are a more intriguing case. They clearly need help at second base and have shown a willingness to spend, but their priorities may lie elsewhere.

With rotation help looming as a bigger immediate need, tying up assets in a marquee second baseman may not be the move they choose to make. There’s also the divisional wrinkle.

The Diamondbacks would be understandably reluctant to ship a recently extended star to a rival in the NL West. Internally, that’s a tough sell.

Even if San Francisco believes Marte’s contract is a bargain compared to free agency, ownership has grown wary of another long-term commitment. They might turn their attention to a more flexible, shorter-term option like Brendan Donovan.

Oakland’s Need vs. Payroll Reality

No team on Marte’s list has a more obvious positional opening than the Oakland Athletics. They’re desperate for production at second base, and their hitter-friendly park could play to Marte’s strengths as a gap-to-gap and power threat.

Stadium Uncertainty and Financial Constraints

On paper, the fit is clean. In reality, it’s complicated.

Oakland’s temporary move to a minor-league stadium environment is a major consideration. Marte may be reluctant to commit to that uncertain setting.

Beyond that, his salary would press hard against the upper limits of the A’s budget. One hypothetical construction floated involves sending Luis Severino back to Arizona as a salary offset.

The issue? Severino is coming off a poor 2025 season, depressing both his value and the likelihood that the Diamondbacks would want his contract just to make the financial math work.

Why the Yankees Are the Most Intriguing Destination

Among the clubs on Marte’s no-trade list, the New York Yankees stand out as the most compelling—and complicated—possibility. Their current construction and long-term needs make Marte an appealing solution if the financials and timing line up.

A Long-Term Answer at Second Base

New York has a short-term solution at second in Jazz Chisholm Jr.. But Jazz is set to hit free agency next winter.

Marte offers something different: a stable, long-term answer at the position and a switch-hitting bat that plays in Yankee Stadium and on the road. Still, the Yankees’ front office has a full plate.

Their primary offseason priority remains re-signing Cody Bellinger. That decision will have ripple effects on how aggressively they pursue any major trade.

A Marte deal isn’t off the table, but it’s not at the top of it, either.

The Wider Market: Contenders Lining Up

Even beyond the five teams on his no-trade list, Marte’s name is circulating in front offices across the league. Arizona’s decision to either hold or move a recently extended cornerstone will have significant implications for the infield market.

Clubs Monitoring the Marte Situation

Several organizations have already checked in on Marte’s availability. Here are a few of them:

For the Diamondbacks, this decision isn’t simple. Trading a recently extended star sends a weird message to fans, but a strong return for a player like Marte—who’s productive, under control, and not breaking the bank—could seriously reshape the franchise.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Details On Ketel Marte’s No-Trade Protection