The Diamondbacks and Ketel Marte are discussing the possibility of a contract extension, per Robert Murray of FanSided (via Twitter). No deal is imminent, though Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reports that the two sides are discussing adding three years of team control to his current contract at a total value of roughly $75MM.
Marte is already under contract for the below-market sum of $8.4MM for 2022, with the Dbacks holding team options for 2023 and 2024 at $11MM and $13MM, respectively. Obviously, those numbers come in far shy the $25MMper annum he would theoretically earn in his age 31-33 seasons under the terms reported by Heyman. And yet, it’s still a number that could be considered a discount, given Marte’s proven ceiling.
Marte has been floated as a potential trade candidate for much of the offseason, but his value has been somewhat difficult to peg because he’s so eminently affordable for the next three campaigns thanks to the extension he signed in March 2018. At the time that he signed the deal, Marte had not yet entered his arbitration seasons, and he’d already been dealt once in what turned out to be one of the more interesting swaps of the past decade. In the deal, Arizona acquired righty Taijuan Walker with the 23-year-old Marte in exchange for an unproven Mitch Haniger, a post-breakout Jean Segura, and southpaw Zac Curtis. Notably, it was one of the very first moves of GM Mike Hazen’s tenure in Arizona.
Though Marte was a high-end prospect, Walker was viewed as the real get at the time. Marte had yet to fully establish himself over parts of two seasons with the Mariners. His extension, then, came after just one additional year with the Diamondbacks, one in which the switch-hitter managed only 255 plate appearances. Marte’s career triple-slash line was just .265/.319/.361 (84 wRC+) with eight homers and 22 steals over his first 968 major league PAs. And yet, Hazen didn’t blink in locking him up for the next seven years.
Hazen’s prescience paid off as Marte broke out in a big way during the 2019 season, finishing fourth in MVP voting. Marte absolutely leveled up to a .329/.389/.592 line over 628 plate appearances, chipping in 36 doubles, nine triples, and 32 home runs, good for 6.9 rWAR/7.0 fWAR. After taking a step back in 2020, Marte posted a reasonable facsimile of his breakout campaign last year with a 139 wRC+, but he was only able to stay on the field for 90 games.
An extension now would be an interesting gambit for the Diamondbacks, considering the injuries that have followed Marte throughout his career. And while he’s a multi-positional standout – and somewhat of an oddity in that he has more-or-less split his career playing time between second base, shortstop, and centerfield – his glovework has largely earned subpar marks everywhere on the diamond except the keystone.
Add to the total picture Marte’s tremendous, if surprising offensive ceiling, and he’s not a player that takes easily to projections. One could argue that the Diamondbacks would be better off waiting on extending Marte to see if he can produce another full season like 2019, given that he’s already under team control for three more seasons. By the time a new extension would kick in, Marte would be on the other side of his prime.
Perhaps they want to put an end to any trade rumblings and commit to Marte as a centerpiece of their offense for the next half decade. Hazen’s been right about Marte twice before, so the pair are probably due the benefit of the doubt.
Besides, Arizona’s future payroll is totally clear. They have nobody currently on the books for after the 2024 season, when Marte’s current contract runs out.
When he’s right, Marte brings a plus ability to put the ball in play, above-average power, above-average speed, and enough positional versatility to be an asset, at least in a game-to-game basis. It’s easy to understand why the Diamondbacks would want him at the forefront of their future endeavors.
Fansided…that’s where I go for credible info. Bleacher Report too. Heck, any handle that has Insider attached to it.
Murray has good sources
It would make sense for the Diamondbacks to keep him around with some of their young talent coming up in the next year or so.
Some players don’t want to win. Can’t blame him if someone offers me millions I’m grabbing the bag
I wouldn’t equate him taking a extension as not wanting to win. Dbacks system is loaded and he’s getting financial stability as in generational wealth in a place he’s comfortable with. Hopefully he gets a no trade clause with the deal. He’s already given them a hometown discount.
Some players want to stick around and help their team win again.
Yea some guys are loyal, or want to finish what they started or whatever. I would say doesn’t want to win, who knows he may have even had some input on of he wanted to stay, or went out of his way to tell the GM that’s y they are talking the Xtra yrs
I think getting an additional $75 million in guarantees is a win. Imagine claiming that a player isn’t a winner because they won’t pass on that huge guarantee for a small chance of catching on with a winning team in three years.
He now gets paid $75MM for his Age 31-33 years, which he probably wouldn’t have gotten if he rode it out to FA. He plays a non-premium defensive position at 2B and lost half of 2022 to separate hamstring injuries. However I do think the D-backs could use some good PR and that helps.
Makes perfect sense for Dbacks. Makes zero sense for Marte unless he gets a major overpay (which obviously Dbacks won’t do) and wants no hope of a ring. Enter FA at 34? Play for a terrible franchise (See Ken Kendrick) that isn’t committed to winning? Snakes have some nice prospects, but they won’t be enough. Need ownership that is committed to spending massively in FA. Marte already signed a terrible deal. Dude is going back to the well for more?
It’s only a terrible deal in hindsight. At the time he signed it he was a solid defender but below average hitter with potential. He could have bet on himself but he chose the sure thing. Can’t fault him or the team for that.
I liked the idea of trading Ketel to NY for Anthony Volpe, but if no one is going to pay a huge prospect price for him then extend and build around him.
Problem is he’s a much better second baseman than centerfielder. The Yankees are in good shape at second.
Agreed… The DBacks have a really nice crop of young talent. They put on some nice displays during their ST games this year.
Yeah not happening. Yanks are not making that deal.
The push to immortalize a 20 year-old that hasn’t played above the A+ level because the Yankees are such a hot mess, is not doing that young man any good.
He has enough of a climb to get to the majors without outrageous expectations – a young guy in A+ ball that’s supposed to turn about a ML franchise.
This Yankees administration has a record the past 5-6 years of ruining young players. Wasn’t so long ago that Gleyber Torres was going to be a big star….and I’d have to look up all the can’t miss young Pitchers because I’ve forgotten their names. Gleyber’s a nice young man and a decent ML ballplayer. Hope he gets out of that pigsty so he can resurrect his career.
I see Sam is bumping his gums again and completely missing the point as per usual.
Yep. Shaking his fist at all the Yankees fans coming in the turnstile as he, the lone KC guy, stands on the sidewalk outside the entrance proudly in his George Brett jersey (the last relevant KC player), holding a sign that reads:
“Small-market teams are people too”
He needs to hit leadoff. Then he could be “Ketel 1.”
Just keep him away from the Toronto pitching coach.
I hope walker doesn’t get fired, he’s really showed he’s a good pitching coach. Marco Estrada, Robbie Ray and Mats did better last year that’s just top of my head, they all did better coming from worse divisions and bigger stadiums maybe even Romano as he went in the rule 5 draft and came back to be a closer
Mr. Walker has been the Jays Pitching Coach since the beginning of the 2013 season.
It’s nice that he had big success with some guys in 2021. Lets talk about some other Pitchers he’s turned around the other 8 years as he built the Jays into a pitching powerhouse.
Not to belittle him – am sure the man knows pitching. But the concept of fawning over or belittling a FO, manager, coach or player because of what he did the past year is a mainstay of this board. The lack of perspective dominates.
Estrada retired in 2019..
I realize his ceiling is his ceiling and 6+ WAR guys regularly get over $35M nowadays, but $25M AAV seems steep for Marte, given his injury history and the club options already there to be potentially declined.
I still don’t fully understand. So this would convert the club options into guaranteed years and convert his contract into a 10 year/$116M deal, or it would replace the two club options and the remaining money would be restructured for him to make $93M over the next 5 seasons from 2023-2027?
I’m kinda confused. His contract details are very different on baseball-reference and spotrac and in this article.
I guess they’re essentially trying to sign him to an updated 6 year/$107.4M deal from 2022 through 2027?
They should do it. Marte is a fun player and the D’backs haven’t had much reasons to watch since the Randy Johnson/Curt Schilling days
Enjoy reading your comments.
Sign and trade candidate in the future.. Marte dominating presence on a playoff team, legitimate gold glove and silver slugger at second base. body has matured into natural power. That said Ryan Bliss interesting guy to watch, Diamondbacks have in the wings.Not even close to Marte. That said, imagine Marte paired with Lindor.. He’ll probably get an opt out deal, and sign for a little less with a ntc. special baseball talent. Too talented to trade, too talented not to trade, but a contract for the dbacks is a must for trade returns. gold glove guys with 900 ops don’t grow on trees at second base.