Potential blockbuster offseason trade target emerges for Braves

The Braves have a lot of work to do this offseason, even if their recent run of play has inspired some confidence in certain areas.

The rotation still needs another arm, preferably of the frontline variety. The bullpen needs a complete makeover, especially if the club lets Raisel Iglesias walk in free agency as most expect. The offense could also use a boost, with the middle infield being the most logical place for Atlanta to upgrade.

Nick Allen is a wizard defensively, but his bat is nonexistent. The search for a long-term replacement for Dansby Swanson continues to drag into a fourth straight offseason. If that proves just as difficult to solve as in years past, Alex Anthopoulos could be forced to turn his attention to second base, where Ozzie Albies has endured one of the worst seasons of his career.

Albies still has plenty of value thanks to his contract. The Braves will surely pick up his $7 million option for 2026, but his on-field performance has cratered. He’s hitting just .226 with 10 homers and a .626 OPS, leaving second base as one of the few spots in Atlanta’s lineup where an upgrade is realistic.

Which brings us to Ketel Marte.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Diamondbacks are expected to listen to offers for their All-Star second baseman this winter.

“The worst-kept secret in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization is out: They will listen to offers on All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte this winter, knowing that while Marte is extremely talented, he can be a diva in the clubhouse, agitating his teammates and coaching staff,” Nightengale writes. “His detractors are still angry that he took a day off the final week of last season when they were fighting for their playoff lives. Though Marte’s house in Arizona was robbed the night of the All-Star Game, he took a vacation after the break, leaving the D-backs seething. The team put him on the restricted list and refused to pay him during his absence, and aired frustrations in a private meeting upon his return. Still, there was no discipline and he was back in the lineup the following day.

“The D-backs won’t trade their three-time All-Star and NLCS MVP who has $92.5 million left on his contract after this season without getting fair value in return, but they’re also aware that he’ll become a 10-and-5 player early next season that gives him full no-trade rights.

“Certainly, the phone lines will be open.”

For a minute, Ketel Marte and Ozzie Albies were competing for the title of the best second baseman in the National League. But while Albies’ production has fallen off a cliff as he approaches 30-years-old, Marte has only gotten better with age.

After posting a career high 6.8 WAR last season, Marte has followed it up with another All-Star campaign in which he’s hitting nearly .300 with a .952 OPS. He’s become one of the bats in baseball, and he just so happens to play a position of need in Atlanta. Plus, he’s under team control through 2030, which fits perfectly into the club’s championship window.

It’s been well documented that Alex Anthopoulos prefers to make his biggest splashes via trade. He’s never been one that likes to get in bidding wars in free agency. Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, Raisel Iglesias, and Chris Sale were all brought in through trades, while the biggest contract Anthopoulos has ever handed out was for $65 million to Marcell Ozuna. The Braves were even rumored to be in on Byron Buxton at the trade deadline, signaling their intentions this offseason.

Anthopoulos realizes this offense needs some juice, and Ketel Marte would address that with one swift move. However, the Braves would probably have to be willing to part ways with talent on the major-league roster to get a trade done.