Author: rincon

Infielder Kazuma Okamoto and pitcher Kona Takahashi are entering Major League Baseball’s posting system and will be available for teams to sign as free agents from Friday through Jan. 4.

They join power-hitting corner infielder Munetaka Murakami, whose 45-day window to sign expires Dec. 22, and right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who can sign through Jan. 2.

Okamoto, 29, hit .327 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs in 69 games this year for the Central League’s Yomiuri Giants. He injured his left elbow while trying to catch a throw at first base on May 6 when he collided with the Hanshin Tigers’ Takumu Nakano, an injury that sidelined Okamoto until Aug. 16.

A six-time All-Star, Okamoto has a .277 average with 248 homers and 717 RBIs in 11 Japanese big league seasons, leading the Central League in home runs in 2020, 2021 and 2023. He homered off Colorado’s Kyle Freeland to help Japan beat the U.S. 3-2 in the 2023 World Baseball Classic final.

FOX Sports analyst Rowan Kavner ranked Okamoto the No. 22 free agent in his top-30 rankings, writing that, “Okamoto is four years older than Murakami and doesn’t have the same raw power or star ceiling, but he also doesn’t strike out nearly as often and might have the higher floor.” 

Takahashi, a right-hander who turns 29 on Feb. 3, was 8-9 with a 3.04 ERA this year for the Pacific League’s Seibu Lions, striking out 88 and walking 41 in 148 innings. he had gone 0-11 with a 3.87 ERA in 2024 after compiling a 22-16 record in the prior two seasons.

Takahashi is 73-77 with a 3.39 ERA in 11 seasons with the Lions.

Under MLB’s posting agreement with Nippon Professional Baseball, the posting fee would be 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There would be a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Age be damned: Max Scherzer can still get it done.

Last season, the 41-year-old Scherzer was part of the Toronto Blue Jays‘ starting rotation and a reputable force in the postseason, recording a 3.77 ERA in three starts, two of them coming in the World Series. Any team that wishes to sign the future Hall of Famer will be doing so with the intention of Scherzer rounding out their starting rotation as a veteran complement – a role that the right-hander has thrived in, of late.

Here are the three best fits for Scherzer should he depart Toronto.

Last season was an anomaly; the Orioles, who won 96 games per season from 2023-24, are better than the 75-win, last-place product they put on the field in 2025. Of course, getting back to being that force entails improving around the edges this offseason, and Scherzer would be a sly addition for the Orioles.

Among other issues, Baltimore’s starting rotation struggled mightily last season, as it was 24th in MLB in ERA (4.65) and 21st in WHIP (1.32). Furthermore, veteran starters Tomoyuki Sugano and Zach Eflin are free agents, and the Orioles recently traded former first-rounder Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward. Another starter is needed, and Scherzer would be a veteran enhancement for a rotation with upside.

When healthy and on top of their games, Kyle Bradish and Dean Kremer have been top-of-the-rotation forces, and Trevor Rogers came to life in emphatic fashion in the second half of 2025, recording a 1.81 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 18 starts. Scherzer, who still has a consistent, four-pitch arsenal (four-seamer, slider, changeup and curveball), would be a mentor for a rotation of capable but also inconsistent starters, adding a pitcher with a wealth of knowledge and success to the mix.

All that said, Scherzer may prefer to sign with a team that’s more proven and likely to make the playoffs as currently constructed.

The Padres have open spots in their rotation, and Scherzer represents an effective, short-term way to fill one of those roles.

Michael King, Dylan Cease and midseason pickup Nestor Cortes are all free agents and Yu Darvish is expected to miss the entire 2026 season due to an elbow injury. Nick Pivetta (2.87 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 190 strikeouts in 31 starts) is coming off a breakout campaign, and Randy Vasquez has shown tangible progress. Let’s say that one of King and Cease are re-signed, with Cortes being brought back on a one-year deal. Still, multiple additions would be needed for San Diego’s pitching staff.

Scherzer, an eight-time All-Star, averaged five innings per start in the 2025 regular season, with two of his three postseason outings going into the fifth inning and another going into the sixth. He can still be a rotation fixture and start in the postseason, if needed. Should Scherzer struggle and/or a young arm like Miguel Mendez be ready to become a full-time member of the starting rotation during the 2026 regular season, then a tough decision can be made on the veteran. But, in the meantime, Scherzer would help fill out the Padres’ rotation, adding a pitcher with a trove of big-game experience to a team that expects to be playing deep into October.

There’s just another National League team with a screaming fit for Scherzer.

The Reds are knocking on the door but still getting told “we’re not interested, have a nice day” when that door is opened. Maybe Scherzer gets them through it?

Veterans Nick Martinez, Zack Littell and Wade Miley are all free agents. One of them could be brought back for depth’s sake, specifically in a flex role, but Scherzer is more accustomed to pitching where the Reds want to be playing (October); he has made 28 career postseason starts and 33 appearances total.

Hunter Greene throws gas, posts strikeouts at a high rate and has become an ace; Nick Lodolo, who consistently throws four pitches (four-seamer, curveball, changeup and sinker), posted a career-best 3.33 ERA in 29 appearances/28 starts last season; Andrew Abbott has become one of the best left-handed pitchers in the sport; Brady Singer has been a top-of-the-rotation force for the better part of the last four years. When the postseason comes around, Scherzer may not be in Cincinnati’s starting rotation, but as last postseason showed, if push comes to shove, the veteran can provide five quality innings of work.

Moreover, the postseason experience and wisdom that Scherzer can rub off on a burgeoning rotation, both from helping the aforementioned pitchers tweak their offerings and from a mentality standpoint, could be invaluable. Cincinnati can sign Scherzer to a one-year, $10 million deal and still make a move or two for an impact hitter.

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You can’t have enough great relievers, and New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz is arguably the best one on the open market this offseason.

A two-time National League Reliever of the Year, Diaz is among the more overpowering closers in MLB, hitting triple digits with his four-seamer and making hitters look silly with his slider. Diaz, who opted out of the final two seasons of a five-year, $102 million deal and figures to seek a similar pact, is a plug-and-play closer and in the prime of his career. The Mets will likely make a considerable effort to keep Diaz, but they’ll have plenty of company to secure his services.

Here are the three best fits for Diaz should he depart Queens.

The Tigers could use an impact bat (Eugenio Suarez? Alex Bregman?), but they could also use a boost in their bullpen, and adding Diaz would certainly qualify as such a jolt.

Detroit’s bullpen was 26th in MLB in strikeouts (533), 17th in ERA (4.05) and tied for 16th in WHIP (1.30) last season. Will Vest held his own in his first season as a full-time closer, but he still blew seven save opportunities, and Diaz is more proven in that regard.

Diaz could become the Tigers’ new closer, sliding Vest into a setup role. Furthermore, all of Detroit’s midseason bullpen acquisitions – Kyle Finnegan, Rafael Montero and Paul Sewald – are each free agents, making it incumbent upon the Tigers to add depth in the later innings. Last season, Diaz posted a 1.63 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 98 strikeouts and a 248 ERA+ in 66.1 innings pitched. He would add stability to manager A.J. Hinch’s bullpen.

All that said, Detroit could feel that it can bank on Vest, Brenan Hanifee and Brant Hurter making a collective jump and/or re-sign Finnegan, opting to save money and spend it primarily on an impact hitter.

The Blue Jays were on the precipice of a World Series triumph. But Miguel Rojas‘ solo home run with one out in the top of the ninth inning of Game 7 tied the game and the Dodgers went on to win in the 11th. Toronto needs to use that heartbreak as an excuse to throw haymakers this offseason to shore up its pitching staff, which signing Diaz would qualify as doing.

In the regular season, Toronto’s bullpen was 16th in ERA (3.98) and tied for 13th in WHIP (1.28). To boot, it boasted a 4.44 postseason ERA. Offseason pickup Jeff Hoffman – who was an All-Star in 2024 – underwhelmed, posting a 4.37 ERA, blowing seven save opportunities and, unfortunately for the right-hander’s sake, was the one who surrendered the game-tying home run to Rojas in Game 7 of the World Series.

Enter Diaz, who has posted an ERA below two in four of the last seven seasons that he has pitched (Diaz missed the 2023 season due to a knee injury). Diaz would give Toronto another reliever who posts strikeouts at a high rate and become its new closer, with Hoffman moving back into a setup role, which was his primary niche before joining the Blue Jays. 

What could stop Toronto from forking over a top-line contract for Diaz or any reliever for that matter, though, is it potentially viewing adding an ace as higher up on the list of needs (the Blue Jays’ starting rotation was 20th in MLB with a 4.34 ERA in the 2025 regular season) – and a proven closer being exactly what another team needs.

Yes, the Dodgers just won the World Series – again. But for the sake of having as close to a perfect roster as possible, Diaz is exactly what the Dodgers need.

In the regular season, the Dodgers’ bullpen was tied for 20th in ERA (4.27), a mark which was also 11th out of 12 playoff teams. Moreover, they were tied for 20th in WHIP (1.33), which was last among playoff teams. Left-hander Tanner Scott, who was signed to a four-year, $72 million deal last offseason, recorded a 4.74 ERA and led MLB with 10 blown saves; Kirby Yates, who was signed to a one-year, $13 million deal last offseason, posted a 5.23 ERA.

While, more often than not, Los Angeles was able to evade trouble in the postseason, it finished the playoffs with a 1.57 bullpen WHIP, with the unit being aided by starter Roki Sasaki becoming a fixture in the late innings. To avoid entering the postseason with a shaky bullpen, getting a new closer should be priority No. 1 for the Dodgers this offseason.

Diaz would become manager Dave Roberts’ new closer, giving him an established All-Star-caliber reliever who has also shut the door in postseason games. If Scott gets back on track and/or the Dodgers have an internal development, the more, the merrier. But they can’t take any chances.

The Dodgers have the money, as a $350 million payroll in 2025 showed, and the need. They’re the perfect fit for Diaz.

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Now that the confetti is clear from the Dodgers’ World Series victory parade, it’s time to start looking ahead to the World Baseball Classic.

Airing on FOX and its affiliate networks in March 2026, the sixth iteration of this tournament will feature 20 countries and territories whose best players will compete to prove that their country is the crème de la crème of professional baseball.

With that in mind, let’s dive into the early odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Nov. 18.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

World Baseball Classic 2026

USA: +160 (bet $10 to win $26 total)
Japan: +290 (bet $10 to win $39 total)
Dominican Republic: +425 (bet $10 to win $52.50 total)
Puerto Rico: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Venezuela: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Mexico: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
South Korea: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Netherlands: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Italy: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Cuba: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Canada: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Colombia: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Panama: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Israel: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Australia: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Chinese Taipei: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Great Britain: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Czech Republic: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Nicaragua: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Brazil: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)

Here is what to know about the WBC oddsboard:

WBC Favorites: The USA is the early favorite to take the crown in next year’s premier global event, followed closely by Japan at +290. In 2023, the United States finished as runner-up to Japan, losing 3-2. The final at-bat of the thrilling championship game featured Shohei Ohtani pitching to Mike Trout. The two were teammates at the time on the Angels. Ohtani was able to strike out Trout in that final at-bat, lifting his home country to victory and earning Japan’s third World Baseball Classic title in the process. The USA has one piece of WBC hardware in its trophy case, last winning the event in 2017 after defeating Puerto Rico. Neither the USA nor Japan roster has been finalized, but chances are a trio of Dodger teammates — Ohtani, World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dodgers closer Roki Sasaki — will represent the Japanese. For the USA, Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes and Cal Raleigh, among others, have committed to play.

Familial Territory: Speaking of Puerto Rico, at +900, the U.S. territory is fourth on the board. In addition to finishing as runner-up to the USA in 2017, P.R. was runner-up to the Dominican Republic in 2013. Unfortunately for Puerto Rico, the team will likely have to compete in the classic without one of its biggest stars, Kiké Hernández. The Dodgers’ utility player announced that he underwent left elbow surgery recently which will prevent him from playing in the tournament next spring.

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The Women’s Pro Baseball League will play its inaugural season at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.

The WPBL plans to begin play on Aug. 1. The Women’s Baseball World Cup is being held in Rockford — about three hours north of Springfield — from July 22-26.

Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Boston are the four teams for the league’s 2026 season. San Francisco will pick first in a snake-style draft on Thursday night, followed by Los Angeles, New York and Boston. The WPBL said there will be six rounds, with each team selecting five players per round.

Former Little League star Mo’ne Davis, USA Baseball’s Kelsie Whitmore and Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato are among the top players expected to be selected in the draft.

The WPBL said Robin Roberts Stadium “offers a central location” among its four founding clubs. Springfield also hosted one of the earliest paid women’s games in 1875, according to a WPBL news release.

The ballpark has a seating capacity of 5,200, and it recently installed a LED videoboard.

The upstart WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, the first woman to coach for an MLB team, the Oakland Athletics, in 2015. When it debuts, it will be the first pro league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — immortalized in the film “A League of Their Own” — dissolved in 1954.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Right-hander Tatsuya Imai is entering Major League Baseball’s posting system and will be available to teams to sign as a free agent from Wednesday through Jan. 2.

He joins power-hitting corner infielder Munetaka Murakami, whose 45-day window to sign expires Dec. 22.

A 27-year-old right-hander, Imai went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA this season with the Pacific League’s Seibu Lions. He struck out 178 batters in 163 2/3 innings.

Imai is 58-45 with a 3.15 ERA in eight seasons with Seibu, with 907 strikeouts in 963 2/3 innings. He is a three-time All-Star.

Imai pitched eight innings of a combined no-hitter against Fukuoka on April 18. He struck out 17 against Yokohama on June 17, breaking Daisuke Matsuzaka’s previous team record of 16 from 2004.

Per a report from Nikkan Sports, Tokyo Giants infielder Kazuma Okamoto is also set to be made available through the posting system on Wednesday. Like with Imai, Okamoto is represented by agent Scott Boras, and was brought through the initial stages of the process at the same time.

Okamoto, 29, has spent 11 seasons in NPB, and batted .327/.416/.598 in an injury-shortened 2025. He had appeared in at least 140 games in each of the previous four seasons, before a wrist injury cut this past campaign short. Okamoto still hit 15 home runs in 293 plate appearances, however, and 37 extra-base hits overall.

FOX Sports MLB analyst Rowan Kavner ranked Imai the No. 17 free agent this offseason in his top-30 list, and Okamoto No. 22. For the former he wrote that, “Imai continues to get better every year, seeing his strikeout rate rise and his walk rate decline precipitously,” while for the latter, “Okamoto is four years older than Murakami and doesn’t have the same raw power or star ceiling, but he also doesn’t strike out nearly as often and might have the higher floor.”

Under MLB’s posting agreement with Nippon Professional Baseball, the posting fee would be 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There would be a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.

How does the posting process work? Here’s a primer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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If a team is looking for power, third baseman Eugenio Suarez fits the bill and then some.

Last season, which Suarez split between the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks, he uncorked 49 home runs and posted a .526 slugging percentage. Suarez would be a great fit in Seattle for the foreseeable future, as the 34-year-old would fill a position of need for a Mariners team that was one win away from reaching their first-ever World Series.

However, any team in need of a third baseman will likely see what it costs to sign Suarez. And with that, here are the three best free agent fits for Suarez should he depart Seattle.

In theory, the Yankees’ 2026 starting lineup comes internally from one-to-nine, assuming that they re-sign one of outfielders Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham. But that lineup doesn’t have to be written with a Sharpie; Suarez would be a high-voltage pickup for New York.

Excluding the 2020 MLB season, Suarez has averaged 35.1 home runs per season over the last seven years. He would add another impact bat to a Yankees’ offense that led MLB with 274 home runs last season and be an overall upgrade at third base.

So, why make a move at third base? New York appears married to Anthony Volpe at shortstop, with Jose Caballero pushing him; Jazz Chisholm Jr. is the everyday second baseman; Ben Rice likely replaces Paul Goldschmidt at first base. Sure, Ryan McMahon is due $32 million over the next two seasons and is a great third baseman. At the same time, he hit just .214 last season and has extensive experience starting at second base, too. Suarez can take over at third base with McMahon moving into a utility role. 

All that said, the Yankees may refrain from backing up the truck for Suarez, instead preferring to get a third baseman who hasn’t entered their prime (Munetaka Murakami?) or at least one with a better defensive track record (Suarez posted -6 DRS at third base last season) should they entertain upgrading from McMahon.

Suarez is precisely what the 2026 Tigers need, and they don’t have to trade any prospects to get him.

Detroit shuffled several players at third base last season, including Zach McKinstry, Colt Keith and Andy Ibanez, among others. Signing Suarez would end the ever-fluid situation for the Tigers at the hot corner. Suarez, who ranked in the 89th percentile of MLB in barrel percentage last season (14.3%), would not only give the Mariners a proven third baseman but also a right-handed hitter with mammoth power.

While Detroit’s offense was a plausible unit, it ranked eighth out of 12 playoff teams in slugging percentage (.413). Suarez would fill a loose end and concurrently provide a power jolt to an offense that’s ready to roll. A lineup that features Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson and Suarez is one that would be one of the best power units in MLB. Suarez fits the Tigers’ timeline, as they’ve made the playoffs in back-to-back years and are coming off a grueling, first-round playoff series loss to the Mariners.

So, why isn’t Detroit the No. 1 team for Suarez?

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said that the Pirates have “more flexibility than [they’ve] had in other offseasons.” It’s time for the Pirates to put their money where their mouth is.

Last season, Pittsburgh was last in MLB in runs (583), home runs (117) and slugging percentage (.350), and 28th in hits (1,244). In summation, the Pirates’ positional depth chart needs help across the board. Suarez would be a firm solution at third base for the coming years, adding a proven commodity to the corner infield position and desperately needed power.

The Pirates would likely have to be the top bidder for Suarez and make a concerted effort to improve their roster elsewhere to convince the veteran third baseman to hop aboard, but he’d fill a void and represent a step in the right direction. As for the rest of their infield, the Pirates could objectively hope that one of infielders Nick Gonzales – the No. 7 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft – and Jared Triolo come into their own. But if Pittsburgh’s offense could be a middle-of-the-pack unit, it would have a fighting chance at being a wild-card team.

Paul Skenes is arguably the best starting pitcher in baseball, but Pittsburgh’s starting rotation goes well beyond just the 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner. Last season, the Pirates’ starting rotation was sixth in ERA (3.71) and tied for sixth in WHIP (1.19). Mike Burrows and Carmen Mlodzinski flashed the potential to be rotation fixtures; esteemed pitching prospect Bubba Chandler made his big-league debut; Mitch Keller is a solid, rotation fixture; the Pirates selected right-hander Seth Hernandez with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft; prior to suffering a torn UCL, right-hander Jared Jones showcased the ability to be a strikeout pitcher and top-of-the-rotation force in 2024.

If now isn’t the time for the Pirates, who haven’t had a winning season since 2018, to spend and make a jump, then when is? 

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Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp are among 12 newcomers on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released Monday, and Carlos Beltrán heads 15 holdovers after falling 19 votes shy in 2025 balloting.

Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy and Rick Porcello also are among the first-time eligibles, joined by Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnación, Gio González, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis and Hunter Pence.

Beltrán received 277 of 394 votes for 70.3% in the 2025 balloting, when Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected.

A nine-time All-Star, Beltrán hit .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs over 17 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, ’17), the New York Mets (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (20014-16) and Texas (2016).

He received 46.5% support in his first ballot appearance in 2023, then rose to 57.1% in his second.

Beltrán was the only player cited by name in baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s 2020 report concluding the Astros used electronics in violation of rules to steal signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season. Three days after the report was issued, the New York Mets said Beltrán was out as their manager, just 2 1/2 months after he was hired.

Other holdovers include steroids-tainted stars Alex Rodriguez (146 votes, 37.1%) and Manny Ramirez (135, 34.3%) along with Andruw Jones (261, 66.2%), Chase Utley (157, 39.8%), Andy Pettitte (110, 27.9%), Félix Hernández (81, 20.6%), Bobby Abreu (77, 19.5%), Jimmy Rollins (71, 18%), Omar Vizquel (70, 17.8%), Dustin Pedroia (47, 11.9%), Mark Buehrle (45, 11.4%), Francisco Rodríguez (40, 10.2%), David Wright (32, 8.1%) and Torii Hunter (20, 5.1%).

Pettitte is on the ballot for the eighth time after doubling support from 13.5% in 2024. A player can appear on the ballot up to 10 times.

BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of membership are eligible to vote. Ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 31 and results will be announced Jan. 20. Anyone elected will be inducted on July 26 along with anyone chosen Dec. 7 by the hall’s contemporary baseball era committee ballot considering eight players whose greatest contributions to the sport were from 1980 on.

Hamels, a four-time All-Star, was 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA for Philadelphia (2006-15), Texas (2015-18), the Chicago Cubs (2018-19) and Atlanta (2020), pitching a no-hitter from the Phillies against the Cubs on July 25, 2015. He was MVP of the 2008 NL Championship Series and World Series as Philadelphia won its second title, its first since 1980.

Braun, the 2011 MVP and a six-time All-Star, hit .296 with 352 homers and 1,154 RBIs for Milwaukee from 2007-20. He was suspended for the final 65 games of the 2013 season for violations of baseball’s drug program and labor contract. A 50-game suspension for an alleged positive test in 2011 was overturned after Braun challenged the chain of custody of the urine sample.

Kemp, a three-time All-Star, batted .284 with 287 homers and 1,031 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006-14, ’18), San Diego (2015-16), Atlanta (2016-17), Cincinnati (2019) and Colorado (2020).

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy are being considered by the contemporary era committee along with Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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A star second baseman in his prime and on a team-friendly contract. That’s what any team is getting in Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte.

In the wake of a disappointing season that saw Arizona miss the playoffs and be sellers at the MLB trade deadline, the switch-hitting Marte could very well be the next All-Star-caliber player moved by the franchise. Any team that needs a second baseman can talk themselves into making a move for the two-time Silver Slugger this offseason, but we’re narrowing the list. 

Here are the three best trade fits among playoff-caliber teams for Marte.

The Red Sox are close, but they need a little more oomph, and adding Marte would be a profound way to find it.

Marte, who posted 10 DRS at second base in 2024, would give Boston a surefire answer at second base (645 MLB starts) and somebody who can bounce to shortstop (256 MLB starts) or center field (160 MLB starts), when needed. The 32-year-old, who would form a stable, double-play duo with fellow veteran Trevor Story, is due just $92 million over the next five seasons and has a player option for the 2031 MLB season, an overall contract that’s one of the best values in the sport.

Marte would be a veteran star complement to a Red Sox offense that has an emerging core of young players like Roman Anthony, Romy Gonzalez and Wilyer Abreu. He can hit near the top of Boston’s lineup, generating offense for the meat of the order and having the lethal swing from both sides of the plate to do damage on his own. Marte would put the Red Sox on the same wavelength as the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees in the American League East next season even without internal growth. The Red Sox could send infielder and former first-rounder Mikey Romero, right-hander Hunter Dobbins and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia to the Diamondbacks for Marte.

All that said, Boston may prefer to let Gonzalez or Marcelo Mayer be its everyday second baseman in 2026 with a healthy Triston Casas at first base, refraining from a move in the middle infield – though, it would be for an impact player.

How about going back to where it all began to give the team that brought Marte into the sport its first championship?

Marte, who spent the first two seasons of his MLB career in Seattle (2015-16), would be the team’s permanent answer at second base, a position that was a revolving door for the Mariners last season. This is a Seattle team that was one win away from reaching the World Series. Want somebody who thrives in the clutch? Marte was exceptional with the bat en route to the Diamondbacks winning the NL pennant in 2023, totaling two home runs and 11 RBIs while posting a .329/.380/.534 slash line in 17 postseason games.

The 32-year-old Marte would add a well-balanced hitter to a Mariners’ offense that, while third in MLB in home runs (238), was just 17th in hits (1,345) last season. Seattle could center its offer to Arizona for Marte around second baseman Cole Young and right-hander Emerson Hancock, who are each former first-round picks.

What could halt a Marte pursuit for the Mariners, though, is them potentially preferring to focus on re-signing their starting infielders (Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez) and also keep and move Jorge Polanco – who was primarily Seattle’s designated hitter last season – to second base. In that scenario, the Mariners preserve their roster depth and/or use it for a different trade.

Trading for Marte would be a slick move by Detroit.

Yes, Gleyber Torres just put together a respectable season for the Tigers, but Marte would be an upgrade for them at second base, specifically with the bat, and allow Detroit to spend elsewhere in free agency (maybe a third baseman?). While Detroit’s offense made strides last season, it was still just 16th in MLB in hits (1,346), 14th in on-base percentage (.316) and collectively posted a mere .207/.290/.317 slash line in the postseason. Marte would give manager A.J. Hinch a proven hitter who can swing the bat for both contact and power, adding another integral piece to the long-term puzzle.

Prior to blowing a 15.5-game lead in the AL Central to the Cleveland Guardians – granted, Detroit beat Cleveland on the road in the Wild Card Series – the Tigers looked like the best team in the AL. Their starting rotation was stellar, their bullpen held its own and their offense was a well-oiled machine. The Tigers still have the pieces to get back to being that team, but to do something with it, they need to take a swing this offseason.

Detroit could base a trade package for Marte around outfielder and 2023 No. 3 overall pick Max Clark and versatile infielder Colt Keith, among other young players.

Marte would fit with any team he’s potentially traded to. But for a Tigers’ team whose time to contend for the World Series is the present, Marte could be the piece that puts them over the top.

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