Ken Rosenthal on Braves potential pursuit of Ketel Marte

Perhaps the biggest name that could be moved this offseason is Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte, with multiple MLB insiders reporting he is on the trade block. The Braves theoretically make some sense as a landing spot, with Ozzie Albies’ future in Atlanta suddenly less certain and the club needing more offense after the departure of Marcell Ozuna. However, Ken Rosenthal does not believe the Braves and Diamondbacks are likely to align on a deal.

“The Atlanta Braves, in theory, could pursue Marte, who would be an upgrade over their own switch-hitting second baseman, Ozzie Albies,” Rosenthal writes. “But even though Albies is coming off two down years offensively, he is only 28. He rebounded from a .606 OPS before the All-Star Game last season to produce a .769 OPS, just shy of his career mark, after the break. And he is under contract for a below-market $7 million in 2026, with the Braves holding a $7 million option for ‘27.”

Moving off Ozzie Albies is never going to be easy. He is not only a fan favorite but a clubhouse staple, and his contract is one of the best bargains in baseball even coming off a down year. What Rosenthal does not mention is that Albies is coming off yet another wrist injury that ended his season, the same injury most believe played a major role in his struggles early in 2025. That makes it difficult for Atlanta to feel completely confident about what they are getting from him next season.

Albies is not the only potential roadblock in a Marte trade. Rosenthal also notes the Braves are very hesitant to part with their top young pitching prospects, particularly Hurston Waldrep, who enjoyed a breakout year, posting a 2.88 ERA over 56.1 innings.

“Albies could go back to the Diamondbacks in any trade for Marte, but the Braves also would need to include young pitching,” Rosenthal continued. “After all the injuries they incurred in their rotation last season, they do not want to part with Hurston Waldrep, who could be their No. 5 starter. They also are reluctant to move any of their better pitching prospects when Chris Sale is turning 37 in the final year of his contract, Spencer Strider is growing more expensive and Reynaldo López is under club control for only two more seasons.”

The Braves have earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to evaluating their prospects. Teams have called relentlessly over the years about players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Drake Baldwin and others, all of whom Atlanta refused to include in deals. In contrast, many of the prospects the Braves have actually traded have failed to make significant impacts in the majors.

If Atlanta believes its current crop of young arms is on the verge of becoming meaningful contributors, that confidence should not be questioned. But if there is a player capable of making them second-guess themselves, it is Ketel Marte, who has received MVP votes in each of the last two seasons and has accumulated 16.0 WAR since the start of 2023.