Strange Ketel Marte update means Cardinals' leverage rises over Red Sox and Mariners

For much of the MLB offseason, the trade market has been circling around National League All-Star second basemen Brendan Donovan and Ketel Marte. While the St. Louis Cardinals have been widely expected to move Donovan with many interested suitors calling, Marte was a bit of a surprise name to the mix, and while it felt inevitable that he would be moved at some points, that may no longer be the case.

In a story over by Steve Gilbert over on MLB.com, Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen was asked about Marte and let everyone know he expects to move on from the idea of trading him soon, "We’re very likely to put an end to this shortly...My gut this whole time was that a trade wasn’t going to happen, and I think it seems likely that that’s the case…"

The Diamondbacks pulling Ketel Marte off the market would give the Cardinals ultimate leverage over the Red Sox and Mariners.

While Marte's and Donovan's markets are not completely the same, there are multiple teams that do overlap, with the Red Sox and Mariners in particular now facing the reality that Donovan may be their only high-level option on the trade market.

A recent report indicated that Seattle has been unwilling to part with talent from their Major League roster to get a trade done, something that is likely causing talks to break down with the Diamondbacks but still keeps the Cardinals as a great trade partner. While Seattle seems to be reluctant to add some of their best prospects to a Donovan trade, the Mariners have been willing to put one of their most exciting arms on the table.

For the Red Sox, they could still very well end up going the Alex Bregman route, but they face competition from teams like the Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, and Toronto Blue Jays, and signing Bregman would require them to give him a massive long-term deal. With how loaded Boston's farm system still is, trading for Donovan to fill their final infield hole would certainly save them a ton financially and still allow them to recoup prospects by dealing some of their young outfielders. Multiple reports recently have confirmed that Boston is a real player for Donovan.

We'll see how the market turns over the coming days and weeks, but as things currently stand, the Cardinals continue to hold more and more leverage.