SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 29: Bryson Stott #5 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on from the dugout prior to the start of the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on May 29, 2024 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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The Philadelphia Phillies are under some pressure to make significant changes this winter, but there isn’t a lot of room for tweaks to their roster.
The team seems likely to bring back both Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto, two veteran stars who would return alongside Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola to highlight an all too familiar personnel group.
So, if the Phillies are determined to enter next season with a significantly different lineup, there are only a few players they can realistically replace. And that could be why they have been checking in on a superstar replacement for second baseman Bryson Stott.
“The Philadelphia Phillies and the Toronto Blue Jays are two other teams that have been checking in on and showing interest in Ketel Marte,” Major League Baseball insider Francys Romero reported.
Marte, who has played second base for the Arizona Diamondbacks at an All-Star level in three different seasons, is suddenly on the trade block after some reported tensions with teammates last season. And while he would be a much more expensive option than Stott, his six-year, $116 million contract is a relative bargain considering how much offense he produces.
And, in corroborating Romero’s report about the Phillies’ interest, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi noted another key detail about his contract that the Phillies could be honing in on.
“A Ketel Marte trade … is certainly possible as we begin these Winter Meetings because the interest in him is so robust,” Morosi said during a recent appearance on MLB Network. “One team that’s really interesting that I heard about, the Philadelphia Phillies. And the Phillies are not — I repeat: not — among the teams on his limited no trade clause. So the Phillies could actually acquire Ketel Marte without his permission. That’s a really important detail to keep in mind there.”
While Marte might be able to block a trade to some of the other teams interested in acquiring him, that wouldn’t be the case for the Phillies. So, if the Diamondbacks decide they like a trade offer from the Phillies, they will be moving Marte without a need to check in with him first.
However, it won’t be easy to acquire the star infielder from Arizona. The Phillies would likely have to include one of their top prospects, perhaps even Andrew Painter, who has been all but untouchable up to this point.
Without many other avenues to add a big bat to the lineup, though, perhaps acquiring Marte as a replacement for Stott would be worth that hefty price.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2025/12/09/phillies-can-acquire-116-million-bryson-stott-replacement-without-his-permission/
