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Bob Nightengale, a prominent MLB insider for USA Today, has floated the idea that the Tampa Bay Rays could revisit their pursuit of Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. Speaking on the Foul Territory podcast, Nightengale indicated that the Rays are a team to watch in any potential Marte trade discussions.
"I could see the Rays jumping back in this thing," Nightengale said. He noted that Tampa Bay made an offer for Marte during the previous offseason, but the cost to acquire him now would likely be lower than it was a year ago.
Marte's offensive output took a step back in 2026, with his OPS falling to .748—his lowest mark since 2022. After earning Silver Slugger honors in each of the two prior seasons, he will not take home the award for 2026.
Nightengale also highlighted the contract situation, stating that Marte has a reasonable deal with roughly $15 million annually and about $85 million remaining. He emphasized that any team acquiring Marte must have a strong clubhouse culture, pointing to Yandy Díaz as a key leadership presence for the Rays.
"You've got to have a strong clubhouse presence if you're going to get Marte," Nightengale said. He added that Marte lacked that kind of leadership in Arizona to keep him in check, and that interested teams must feel confident their clubhouse can prevent a repeat of his past behavior.
From a performance standpoint, the Rays struggled to get production from second base in 2026. They ranked 24th out of 30 MLB teams in OPS from the position (.669) and 23rd in Wins Above Replacement (0.8, per Fangraphs). Marte himself posted 2.5 WAR in 2026, according to Fangraphs.
Despite failing to land Marte last year, Tampa Bay went on to win the American League pennant in 2026.
Originally reported by yahoo.