Would the Red Sox consider trading Marcelo Mayer? To acquire a talent like Ketel Marte, that could well be the cost.
On paper, the Red Sox and Diamondbacks represent a promising match. Marte would give the Sox an elite righthanded hitter with power (28 homers last year in 124 games) who grades as a solid defensive option at an up-the-middle position. Though his contract runs through his age-37 season, it’s modest enough that it wouldn’t be a roster-building iceberg if his production craters late in the deal.
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The Sox, meanwhile, have the pitching depth to help Arizona address its glaring rotation needs. The Diamondbacks were interested in Connelly Early during trade deadline conversations in July about pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Payton Tolle or Kutter Crawford likewise could appeal to a team looking to contend in 2026.
With the Red Sox’ acquisitions of Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo earlier this offseason, the team is certainly positioned to deal at least one potential starter — and perhaps even multiple rotation candidates to front a multi-player package.
But it’s also possible the Diamondbacks would want both a starting pitcher and a position player who could offset some of the offensive production they’d lose in a Marte deal. The most obvious path for dealing position players would come from the Sox’ outfield surplus, and perhaps Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu would appeal to the Diamondbacks (in tandem with at least one of the starting pitching options).
Yet multiple evaluators spitballed another possibility, wondering if the Diamondbacks would seek, and the Red Sox would be willing to trade, a package headlined by a starting pitcher as well as Mayer.
After all, if the Diamondbacks trade Marte, they’d likely need to backfill their infield. And if the Sox traded for Marte to play second and re-signed Alex Bregman to play third alongside shortstop Trevor Story, Mayer would be blocked — at least in the short term.
An 11-year MLB veteran, Ketel Marte was the 2024 and ’25 National League Silver Slugger winner at second base.Darryl Webb/Associated Press
In Baseball America’s most recent ranking of the top 100 prospects in baseball, Mayer, who at the time was trying to rehab before he required season-ending surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right wrist, ranked ninth in the sport.
But according to major league sources, his value has since fallen below that lofty perch because of concerns about his injury history. In four full professional seasons, he’s averaged just over 83 games.
As is often the case with young lefthanded hitters, there are also questions about whether Mayer is a platoon player or an everyday option. In 2025, across 104 plate appearances against lefties between Triple A and the big leagues, he hit .210/.240/.340 with 35 strikeouts (34 percent strikeout rate) and three walks.
That said, Mayer remains a special talent with a huge ceiling. In spring training and again at the start of 2025 for Worcester, he was a standout whose combined two-way impact looked like those of a potential All-Star. He showed excellent bat speed suggesting above-average power potential, and his defense in the big leagues at both second base and third — positions he’d rarely played professionally — was so good that the Sox were comfortable letting him learn on the fly as a hitter in the big leagues.
“When you have that type of defensive floor and positional versatility, I think it does make it easier to tolerate some of the ups and downs that come along with a young player who is developing offensively,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said.
But, to develop offensively, Mayer will have to stay on the field, and he has yet to prove he’ll do so. With that uncertainty comes difficulty in defining the value of the player.
Even as the Sox are encouraged by his offseason work, they are clear-eyed about Mayer’s most glaring shortcoming.
“He’s stronger. He has put on some weight. He looks more physical. It feels like he has developed this offseason to getting bigger and stronger, which is great,” Breslow said. “We need him to be consistent. We also need him to shoulder a workload of a full season.”
While that caveat is necessary, plenty of avenues remain open for Mayer to become a valuable part of the Red Sox lineup. He has a chance to hold down third base, shortstop, or second — versatility that can be an immense help in building a team, particularly if he emerges as an impact hitter once he gets settled in the big leagues.
Still, dating to last offseason, Mayer seemingly occupied a different category than Roman Anthony. The Sox have shown reluctance to deal him, but haven’t treated his unavailability as an absolute. The door is barely cracked but not slammed shut.
Is that enough to think Mayer will be moved this offseason? Certainly not. But if Mayer is the difference between the team adding an elite talent this winter or not, the conversation about a heralded prospect could get interesting.
Ben argues the credibility of the HOF is in question with Jeff Kent getting elected over Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Roger Clemens.
Alex Speier can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @alexspeier.
