AL Team Linked To Ketel Marte Trade Amid Turmoil

August 26, 2026 ,
The Kansas City Royals have a need for a middle-of-the-order bat, and the answer could be sitting in Arizona.

Ketel Marte's situation with the Diamondbacks has grown increasingly complicated in recent weeks. 

The three-time All-Star was placed on the restricted list following an unexplained absence before a game in Boston, was later seen at a casino during a team win over the Reds while still away from the club, and has since been transferred from the restricted list to the injured list. 

Arizona has not disclosed the reason behind any of it, and Marte has not rejoined the team.

Kansas City Makes Sense

Per Fansided's Christopher Kline, if Marte becomes available and is willing to leave Arizona, the Royals should be the team making the call. 

Kansas City has struggled offensively for stretches this season, and Marte's track record as a switch-hitting, middle-of-the-order bat with legit power and on-base skills fits a big need. 

His .760 OPS this season is his lowest mark in four years, but his .446 slugging percentage remains close to his career .470 rate, suggesting the underlying bat speed and production haven't disappeared.

Marte is owed roughly $86.5 million over the next five seasons on the six-year, $116.5 million deal he signed with Arizona, plus an $11.5 million player option for 2031. Fansided noted Arizona could also be motivated to retain a portion of that money simply to facilitate a trade and move on.

Complication That Could Stop It Cold

Any deal ultimately comes down to one person: Marte himself. He gained full 10-and-5 rights in early April, giving him complete no-trade protection that lets him veto any deal regardless of what Arizona wants to do. 

He has not publicly requested a trade, and the Diamondbacks reportedly stopped taking calls on him back in January to focus on building around him for a playoff push.

That push has largely worked. Arizona currently sits within two games of a National League Wild Card spot, complicating any argument for moving a middle-of-the-order bat regardless of how his individual season has gone.

This isn't the first time Marte's name has circulated in trade rumors. He was floated as a candidate for a possible deal over the winter, before Arizona's front office ultimately shut down the calls. 

A separate report this month sketched out hypothetical trade packages involving the Royals, Mariners, and Phillies, with the Royals framework built around Kansas City protecting cornerstone first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.

Whether any of this leads to an actual trade remains to be seen, and much of it depends on questions still unanswered by the Diamondbacks organization.

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