Phillies offseason revving up: team has ‘checked in’ on Ketel Marte, Red Sox showing interest in J.T. Realmuto

The Phillies’ offseason stove is starting to heat up before Thanksgiving.

In a report from MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Arizona Diamondbacks are “actively listening” on a trade involving one of the best, if not the best, second basemen in baseball, Ketel Marte, and added that the Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays are “among the teams that have checked in.”

Morosi also noted that the Phillies and Blue Jays are not on Marte’s five-team no-trade clause. I would love to know the teams that are.

"The Diamondbacks are actively listening."@jonmorosi has the latest on Ketel Marte potentially being traded this offseason 👀 pic.twitter.com/hjlD93EdqW

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 25, 2025

Arizona has said previously that a Marte trade is “unlikely.” However, with the reports that they are “actively listening,” this is more than just picking up the phone. The Diamondbacks are in desperate need of some pitching. The Phillies presumably are not going to trade a pitching star for Marte, though.

Marte was an All-Star for the second consecutive season in 2025, hitting .283 with 28 home runs, 72 RBI, and an .893 OPS. Since 2023, Marte has been slashing .283/.368/.519 with a .887 OPS and a 16.0 WAR. He earned NLCS MVP in 2023 when the DBacks took down the Phillies seven games after hitting .387 in the series. 

Marte is a star when healthy. It is unclear if he would exactly fit with the Phillies as a 32-year-old switch-hitting second baseman. He also calls for another significant salary hit and another star to play well into his 30s. He will make $16 million in 2026 and $92 million over the next four years. He has an $11.5 million player option for 2031, his age-37 season.

Bringing in Marte would mean moving Bryson Stott, who could be a part of the deal or could even be moved to third base if the Phillies decide to pull the trigger with Alec Bohm, who is entering his final year of arbitration.

Meanwhile, there are some rumblings involving an American League team and J.T. Realmuto.

The Boston Red Sox are “showing interest” in Realmuto, Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey reported for The Athletic on Tuesday morning.

“Acquiring another catcher is not among the Sox’s top priorities, or so it has seemed,” Rosenthal and McCaffrey stated. “But the Red Sox are showing interest in J.T. Realmuto, according to people briefed on their discussions.”

Realmuto will be entering his age-35 season next year and is coming off a pretty solid offensive campaign in which he hit .257 with a .315 on-base percentage. His .700 OPS, on the other hand, was his lowest since 2015. His 16 home runs were his fewest since 2016, and his .384 slugging percentage was the lowest of his career. Realmuto’s defensive production remained elite; he again led all catchers with a 1.86-second pop time, in innings behind the plate, and 30 runners caught stealing.

Carlos Narvaez was the Red Sox starting catcher in 2025. In his sophomore season and first as a starter, he hit .241 with a .726 OPS, slugging 15 homers and driving in 50 runs. The Red Sox seem to be looking for an upgrade over the almost 27-year-old, and see that in Relamuto, a guy who can also add some leadership to a young lineup.

“As a clubhouse leader who would provide a strong veteran presence to a young position-player group, ideally in tandem with Bregman,” Rosenthal and McCaffrey said. “Realmuto, who remains one of the game’s most athletic catchers, would be a clear, if not massive, improvement.”

However, Rosenthal and McCaffrey did end the report with a positive note for Phillies fans:

“The best guess with Realmuto is that he will still re-sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, his team since 2019.”

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