Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that conversations with the Rays have kicked around a framework that would send both Ryan Pepiot and to the desert. Piecoro writes that nothing is believed to be close on that front and the Rays are not necessarily any kind of frontrunner. Indeed, he adds that the Diamondbacks have had conversations with another team interested in Marte that would be built around a bigger-name starting pitcher.
The Toronto Blue Jays, who have already signed Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to multi-year contracts, weren't expected to be in Soroka's market. Thus, at first glance, this doesn't appear to affect their offseason plans to any real degree. However, the Blue Jays have been cited as one of the most prominent suitors in the Ketel Marte sweepstakes, and it's well known the Diamondbacks are looking for top-tier pitching in return for the star second baseman.
Marte, who has mostly been a secondbaseman over the last few years, has been one of the premier players in the National League going all the way back to 2018. While he's only made three All-Star appearances since then, he's also been worth more than 2.0 bWAR five times since he joined Arizona in 2017. He also seems to be getting better with age, winning back to back Silver Slugger awards,
When Marte returned to the game, and was up at bat, the White Sox displayed the message "The White Sox Community Supports Ketel Marte," which elicited thunderous applause from the audience.
