Yankees can step in front of Red Sox with this outside-the-box Ketel Marte trade

The New York Yankees have been silent during the Winter Meetings while the Boston Red Sox have been mentioned in countless rumors. They also made a trade and a signing on Tuesday, which is ... infinitely more than anything Brian Cashman and Co. have done.

But maybe CashGod is moving in silence. StealthCash. Maybe he's lurking in the shadows, gathering information and waiting to strike. CashGhost. I think we're getting somewhere. Let's try and figure out the proper nickname later.

Whatever is happening, the Yankees can't be sitting around for much longer. The Blue Jays and Orioles have already gotten better this offseason, and the Sox appear to be on the verge of their next big move.

If Cashman and the front office really wanted to be disruptive without throwing around piles of cash, they could step in front of the Red Sox by going after one of Boston's rumored trade targets in Ketel Marte.

You might say, "Why would we do that when Jazz Chisholm is already here?" And you'd have a good point. But in this deal, Chisholm would be departing, and in this hypothetical scenario, the bizarre Chisholm trade rumors end up coming true. After all, it'd be one of the few fair swaps the Yankees could make if they part with the All-Star.

Send the Sox scrambling! Throw Craig Breslow off his axis! Because it's fair to say the Yankees might be able to offer a better trade package than Boston's helium-filled farm system. Do they have some really promising prospects and young players? Yes. Are all of them the league's next group of All-Stars? No. We've already seen the "Big 3" off to a rough start as Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer haven't made an impact, while Roman Anthony played in just 70 games before going down with an injury.

So what if the Yankees called up the Arizona Diamondbacks and offered Chisholm, Will Warren and No. 6 prospect pitcher Ben Hess for Marte and a player of their choice in their second or third year of arbitration to help shed additional unwanted salary? Or maybe just those three for Marte. Whatever they want! We're trying to work with them.

This Yankees-Diamondbacks trade package could exceed Red Sox offer for Ketel Marte

This deal isn't without its risks, and maybe the Red Sox are trying to bait a team like the Yankees to swoop in and make the move. Marte and the D-backs were just embroiled in some bizarre drama that kickstarted a lot of these trade rumors. The veteran slugger is also owed $19.4 million per year through 2031 ... and he's entering his age-32 season in 2026. He's also dealt with injuries three out of the last four seasons.

That said, Marte has not slowed down in any sense. His all-around hitting profile would be a breath of fresh air for the Yankees. He could immediately be the team's star leadoff hitter for the next 2-3 years. It'd fall right in line with the Aaron Judge-Gerrit Cole prime window. It'd just be a risk to assume the back half of this deal ... but isn't that the case with most deals nowadays? Would you want to sign Chisholm to an eight-year, $150 million contract entering his age-29 season? Most fans would have the same complaints.

The Yankees have the farm system strength to capitalize on trades now. And they can take some of the shine off what the Red Sox have been selling for months now. If they pull it off, they can extend their win from the Wild Card series over their hated rivals.