The Tampa Bay Rays are attempting to balance the present and future with regard to their roster. The three-team trade that sent franchise stalwart Brandon Lowe to the Steel City brought in a pair of talents. The Shane Baz trade with the Baltimore Orioles also brought back a haul of prospects that could lead the Rays to greener pastures.
Taken together, the moves represent how the Rays are trying to thread the needle this winter. Now, a popular Rays trade target has been taken off the market, and the Rays are once again forced to look elsewhere.
How the Rays Pivot with Ketel Marte Staying in Arizona
A Snake is Off the Market
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte will not be traded this winter. It had been trending this way for a while, but the Rays now officially need to pivot. The fit with Marte seemed amazing because of his team-friendly contract. Marte is owed $102.5 million over the next six seasons. The Rays weren’t on a list of five teams that he could block a trade to. On top of that, Marte is on the cusp of gaining ten-and-five rights, which would grant him full no-trade protection.
Ketel Marte will remain with the Diamondbacks, source tells @TheAthletic. He will not be traded.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 9, 2026
Having said that, there were murmurs about clubhouse tension in Arizona last season, and maybe Marte wouldn’t be a great fit in a clubhouse with young players like Junior Caminero and Chandler Simpson. The Rays will now move forward with a hazy outlook at an important spot in the middle infield.
What Are the Rays’ Plans?
Maybe the Rays will pursue rumored trade candidate Brendan Donovan. Or maybe they aren’t terribly interested in seriously upgrading the second base position. They have internal candidates and may view 2026 as an opportunity to figure out what they have internally. The leader in the clubhouse seems to be Richie Palacios, who has spent a boatload of time on the injured list over the past few seasons. MLB.com’s Adam Berry predicted that Palacios will be the second baseman when he wrote about who will make the Rays’ Opening Day roster.
Palacios has played all around the diamond, but he needs to stay healthy after only appearing in 17 games last season. His contact-first approach could benefit a Rays club that is prone to high strikeouts. Taylor Walls is another player who can bounce around between shortstop and second base, depending on how Carson Williams performs early this season. The likeliest scenario still involves Williams getting seasoning at Triple-A while Walls handles the shortstop position in the meantime. Walls is an outstanding defender whose arm strength could play even better if he is positioned closer to first base.
Wild Card Options?
Simpson’s speed and ability to hit for a high batting average are throwbacks in the modern game of baseball. The defensive outlook on Simpson is a little more uncertain. Still, he could be an option at second base because the keystone was his natural position at Georgia Tech four years ago. He made 26 appearances at second and 21 at the shortstop spot during the 2022 season. The Rays are notorious for their crowded outfield alignment, and maybe Simpsons athleticism will play better on the infield dirt.
Jonathan Aranda is another intriguing possibility after he enjoyed a breakout 2025 season. Aranda shifting to second base probably would mean that the Rays plan on retaining Yandy Díaz. Aranda still has to prove that he can handle a full season’s workload, but his flexibility could really benefit the Rays.
This battle for second base reps will be one of the most fascinating narratives in spring training. The Rays’ offense will look a lot better if the second base position is carrying their weight offensively.
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