The Cincinnati Reds might be weighing one of the boldest moves of the offseason. They might be on the fence about swapping their ace Hunter Greene for Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte—the $116.5 million switch-hitting phenom.

No doubt, this sounds wild, given the Reds snuck into the playoffs with their 83-79 record this season, and Greene, with his 2.76 ERA and a 132/26 K/BB ratio, was a major contributor. In fact, Jim Bowden mentioned it would be a “huge mistake” for the Reds to move on from Greene, and even ESPN has Greene at only a 10% chance of being traded, so a no-category. But never say never, and this swap is gaining more traction.

Even Jim Riley from BALLCAP Sports jumped on the wagon, “Really got fascinated by the idea of the Reds and the Diamondbacks coming together on Catel Marte for Hunter Green.” And well, once you dig into the details, you do understand why.

Firstly, Cincinnati is built to survive even without Green—such is their depth. They have Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Chase Burns, Brady Singer, and Rhett Lowder in the mix. So, not like a situation Detroit would be in case they thought of trading Skubal. Plus, given Kyle Schwarber’s chase by the Reds has mellowed down, what Riley is saying makes all the more sense.

Reds wanted Schwarber, but given that the Phillies are expected to offer five years and $145 million, and even teams like the San Francisco Giants are interested in Schwarber, their run seems to have lost its appeal. Plus, the Reds are working under a tight payroll and only have $20 million breathing room, which Schwarber feels is unrealistic.

If the Reds can’t buy a bat, they trade for one, and the Hunter Greene and Marte trade doesn’t feel impossible, given they are pretty close on baseball trade values, too. And the team could really use Ketel Marte in their roster. He is fresh off a star-level season. 283, 28 homers, 72 RBIs, a Silver Slugger, and another All-MLB First Team nod. If he gets to the Reds, he gets to be the best hitter in their lineup. Plus, slot him right next to Elly De La Cruz, hope for a bounce-back from Matt McLain, and build around Noelvi Marte’s emergence—you have an offense that screams danger and not “still developing.”

For Arizona, meanwhile, the appeal is equally great, and they can pair Greene with Corbin Burnes. The real question is if they can really stomach losing the Marte bat in the middle of the lineup.

But the Arizona Diamondbacks are not the only best option for the Reds’ Hunter Greene package.

Another Hunter Greene’s potential trade that actually hits

There is no doubt that the Diamondbacks seem to offer a great deal for Hunter Greene. But then, if you look more, there is one team that can blow everyone else out of the picture, and it’s the Boston Red Sox. Boston has the rare combo that every seller wants—MLB-ready bats, a legit pitching prospect, and the motivation to get it done.

Let’s start with the headliner—Jarren Duran. The team’s outfield is overflowing, and moving Duran not just solves the logjam they have but instantly gives the Reds a spark plug at the top or in the middle of the lineup. He brings, after all, 20-homer power, 30-steal speed, and chaos on the bases.

Sure, the defense can be messy at times, but he is electric, and the Cincinnati Reds need more of that. And then there is Payton Tolle, Boston’s no. 2 prospect, who is one of the most fascinating young arms in the minors. His fastball is great for his age, and in 2025, he put up a 3.04 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 133 strikeouts in 91.1 innings in the minors.

Cincinnati has a good pitching development group, so they can help Tolle sharpen his off-speed stuff. And then you can’t overlook Mikey Romero, who could slide next to Elly De La Cruz as early as next year. So in theory, Boston gets their ace, and the Reds get an All-Star outfielder, a blue-chip pitching prospect, and a ready-made infielder- that’s a mega deal!

If the Reds ever moved Greene, then this is the kind of package that could make them stop and rethink. Don’t you think?