This massive Mariners trade package could lure Ketel Marte back to Seattle

The Ketel Marte rumor mill has us doing that one bit from The Godfather Part III. Just when we think we're out, we get pulled back in. But since the Seattle Mariners have gotten their strongest link yet to the three-time All-Star, there's no time like now to imagine what a trade could look like.

The latest is from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, who piggybacked on a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today on Sunday with the following on Marte's market:

Now, noting that the Mariners are a "fit" for Marte is not the same as saying they're interested, much less that they've engaged with the Arizona Diamondbacks. As such, there's still ample reason to remain skeptical that Marte, a former Mariners prospect, will make his way back to Seattle.

This massive Mariners trade package could lure Ketel Marte back to Seattle

Yet even after their reported deal with Michael Soroka, the Diamondbacks still need pitching. And even after a year in which their pitching staff fell short of expectations, the Mariners still sit on a stockpile of arms.

The 32-year-old Marte is owed $91 million through 2030, which is not an unreasonable sum for an outstanding defender who's also a dangerous (i.e., .913 OPS and 64 homers the last two seasons) hitter from both sides of the plate. To wit, Baseball Trade Values estimates that he has $66.6 million in surplus value on top of what he'll be paid going forward.

That's a lot of value, but not too much for the Mariners. They are capable of putting together multiple suitable packages for Marte, including this one that — might as well commit to the Godfather bit — might be an offer Arizona couldn't refuse:

To any Diamondbacks fans who might be reading this: Yes, Bryce Miller had a 5.68 ERA this year, and yes, he did miss a bunch of time with a bone spur in his elbow.

However, he's also a 27-year-old with four remaining years of club control, and it was only last year that he was Seattle's most valuable pitcher via a 2.94 ERA over 180.1 innings. He was also their best starter in the ALCS, and it's already been confirmed that he won't need surgery on his elbow.

Miller could slot right into Arizona's rotation, perhaps even in the No. 1 spot ahead of Soroka, Ryne Nelson, Brandon Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodriguez. Similarly, Cole Young could slip right into Marte's shoes at the keystone.

Young, 22, entered this season as a top-50 prospect, and there was a long stretch during the summer when he looked the part of a budding star. He batted .281 with 20 walks against 28 strikeouts in 50 games between June 7 and August 15.

For his part, Ryan Sloan will only turn 20 years old on January 29. He's MLB Pipeline's No. 44 prospect, and everyone is raving about him following a year in which he posted a 3.73 ERA and a 6.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 21 starts across Single-A and High-A.

Luke Stevenson is well on his way to becoming a top-100 prospect in 2026. He was recently tabbed by Baseball America as the Mariners' breakout prospect for next season, and the shoe fits after he showed he was more than just a gifted defender in his first taste of pro ball. In 22 games at Single-A, he got on base at a .460 clip.

Sloan is behind switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and even 2025 draftee Kade Anderson with his development timeline, while Stevenson is looking up at Cal Raleigh on the depth chart. They are therefore expendable from the Mariners' farm system, whereas they are badly needed in an Arizona system that is light on right-handed pitching and catching.

For the Mariners, swapping out Young for Marte would provide their lineup with a third superstar alongside Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez. The loss of Miller would hurt in 2026, but less so if Logan Gilbert and George Kirby improve after down seasons. They'd also have Logan Evans and Emerson Hancock to ease the pain in the short term, with Cijntje and Anderson potentially contributing in the latter half of the season.

In other words: Who says no?