Ketel Marte

MLBTR Poll: Should The D-Backs Trade Ketel Marte?

By Anthony Franco | January 2, 2022 at 11:52am CDT

There may be no bigger question for the Diamondbacks this winter than whether to trade Ketel Marte. A fourth-place finisher in 2019 NL MVP voting, Marte looked to be emerging as one of the game’s best position players. An average showing in the 2020 truncated schedule registered as a disappointment, but the switch-hitter returned to his 2019 form last year.

Marte hit .318/.377/.532, production that checked in 39 percentage points above the league average by measure of wRC+. Strains of both hamstrings limited him to just more than half of Arizona’s games, as he tallied 374 plate appearances over 90 contests. When healthy, Marte was dynamic, and his relative down year in 2020 now looks like an anomaly. In just under 1,200 plate appearances since the start of 2019, he’s a .318/.374/.543 hitter. His 137 wRC+ in that time ranks 11th among the 159 players with more than 1,000 trips to the plate.

That’s star-level offensive output, and Marte also offers up-the-middle defensive value. He didn’t acclimate well to a move to center field last year, but he’s rated as an average or better gloveman at second base. Some clubs may have reservations about his health after last year’s hamstring issues, but few players around the league can match Marte’s combination of bat-to-ball skills, raw power and athleticism.

In addition to his obvious talent, Marte’s incredibly affordable. He’ll play the 2022 season on a modest $8.4MM salary, and he’s controllable through 2024 via a pair of club options worth a combined $24MM. The Marlins are the only club known to have contacted the D-Backs about Marte this winter, but it stands to reason there are plenty of other teams with interest in a player of this caliber on such a team-friendly contract.

Whether the Diamondbacks would trade Marte is uncertain. They seemed to take him off the market quite early at last summer’s deadline. General manager Mike Hazen and assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye have both spoken in recent months about a desire to avoid a full rebuild while building the franchise around a few cornerstone players, and Marte no doubt qualifies. Both Hazen and Sawdaye have left the door open a bit, noting that they’re not in position to deem anyone completely untouchable coming off an NL-worst 52-110 season. Yet neither executive sounded enthused about the possibility, and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic wrote last month that it’d take a “monster package” for Arizona to move Marte.

Should the Diamondbacks be willing to entertain a Marte trade? They’re in a division with three of the game’s most talented rosters, and it’s hard to see a path to contention in 2022. The D-Backs could look into another contract extension, but a new Marte deal would be far costlier than the one on which he’s currently playing.

One could make a cogent argument that Arizona should pursue some form of organizational reboot, and no one on the roster would bring back as strong a return in trade as Marte. Yet there’s no certainty any prospect they get back will become a player anywhere near Marte’s caliber, and he should still be in high demand this summer or next offseason if the club hasn’t seen much near-term progress.

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Marlins Interested In Ketel Marte

By Mark Polishuk | December 3, 2021 at 11:17am CDT

The Marlins have shown interest in the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. There isn’t any indication that a deal was close prior to the lockout, and it remains to be seen if Arizona would be even open to moving Marte at all.

As Rosenthal plainly puts it, the D’backs “would need a monster package to move Marte.” The former All-Star is entering his age-29 season and is controlled through the next three seasons — an $8MM salary in 2022, and then club options for both 2023 and 204 that would pay Marte a total of $22MM if both options were exercised.

Marte broke out with a huge 2019 season that saw him finish fourth in NL MVP voting. After a disappointing 2020 campaign, Marte rebounded to hit .318/.377/.532 with 14 home runs last season, though he was limited to only 90 games due to a pair of hamstring injuries. In both 2019 and 2021, Marte has enjoyed large BABIPs and wOBA totals that have outpaced his xwOBA, so there is some question about just how sustainable his elite production is, plus his speed and baserunning skills have been in decline. Still, Marte makes a lot of hard contact and rarely strikes out, and it is possible he could use a change of scenery given the Diamondbacks’ dismal results over the last two seasons.

Between Marte’s age, ability, and his very reasonable contract, Rosenthal points out that the D’backs would want more for Marte than they received in either the Paul Goldschmidt or Zack Greinke trades. To put it in perspective, Arizona received two MLB-ready younger players (Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly), one notable prospect (Andrew Young, who has since made his big league debut) and a Competitive Balance Round draft pick from the Cardinals for Goldschmidt back in the 2018-19 offseason. For dealing Greinke to the Astros at the 2019 trade deadline, the D’Backs got four prospects in return.

Miami could be a team well-suited to meet the Diamondbacks’ high asking price, given how the Marlins have been open to trading from their surplus of starting pitchers. The Fish have lots of young pitching depth in the minors and even some names from their current big league staff could be available, with Elieser Hernandez and Pablo Lopez considered to be available. (Sandy Alcantara can be safely removed from the list of trade candidates considering his recent five-year extension.)

The Marlins would presumably deploy Marte in center field, with Jesus Sanchez and the newly-acquired Avisail Garcia flanking Marte in the corners. However, defensive metrics are mixed at best (-8 Outs Above Average and -12 Defensive Runs Saved, but a +2.3 UZR/150) on Marte’s glovework as an outfielder, and while his numbers as a second baseman are similarly unspectacular, Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen indicated that Arizona would likely keep Marte as something close to a full-time second baseman in 2022. Playing the infield could help keep Marte healthier, but the Marlins might also view Marte’s outfield defense as improvable if he is focused on playing only center field, whereas the D’Backs moved Marte around between center, second base, and shortstop.

In other trade talks between the two sides, Rosenthal writes that the Marlins also checked on Kelly’s availability. Presumably, Kelly is no longer on Miami’s radar now that the Marlins have acquired Jacob Stallings to fill their catching vacancy.

Diamondbacks Targeting Bullpen, Third Base Help

By Anthony Franco | November 10, 2021 at 4:49pm CDT

On the heels of an NL-worst 52-110 showing, the Diamondbacks are generally expected to be in for a quiet winter. Last month, Arizona GM Mike Hazen frankly acknowledged that competing in a loaded division in 2022 looked unlikely, and he sounded slightly more open than he’d been in the past to considering trades that would send away marquee members of the roster.

Still, Hazen pushed back against the possibility of a full rebuild at that time, and assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye took a similar stance yesterday when speaking with reporters (including Zach Buchanan of the Athletic). Asked about the possibility of moving high-caliber, controllable players like Ketel Marte, Zac Gallen and Carson Kelly, Sawdaye reiterated that the D-Backs hope to build around what he called “cornerstone-type players.” Just as Hazen has on a few occasions, Sawdaye said the Snakes would “never say never” on any possibility, but he also didn’t sound anxious to tear the roster to the studs.

“We go into every season with the idea that we want to put the best possible team out there that’s going to go out and compete,” Sawdaye said (via Buchanan). “I don’t think we ever wave the white flag and say, ‘Well, we’re going to give up on ’22.” Sawdaye instead suggested the D-Backs would look for external upgrades, pointing to the bullpen and third base as areas of need.

The Diamondbacks had plenty of issues this past season, but it’s arguable that the relief corps was the biggest culprit. Only the Orioles and Nationals had a worse bullpen ERA than Arizona’s 5.08, and D-Backs relievers ranked dead last in both SIERA (4.56) and strikeout/walk rate differential (9.7 percentage points). Since the end of the season, they’ve already picked up a pair of relief options (Zack Burdi and Edwin Uceta) off waivers, but it seems they’ll scour the free agent market for additional options. Sawdaye didn’t suggest the D-Backs would play for top-of-the-market arms like Raisel Iglesias or Kendall Graveman, but the front office has plenty of lower-cost candidates to choose from. The Snakes can add at least add some veteran stability to the middle innings, since they’re only returning one reliever (Sean Poppen) who worked at least ten innings with a sub-4.00 SIERA in 2021.

On the position player side, Sawdaye called third base “the clearest need on our infield.” Eduardo Escobar and Asdrúbal Cabrera soaked up the bulk of the innings there this year, but both players were moved to contenders before the end of the season. The D-Backs could theoretically make another run at either player now that they’re free agents, but Escobar seems likely to price himself out of their market and Cabrera didn’t play particularly well. Beyond Kris Bryant and Kyle Seager, the free agent market offers mostly utility types at the hot corner.

Interestingly, Sawdaye suggested the D-Backs could try to pick up a controllable third base option via trade. Even if Arizona doesn’t wind up trading long-term assets, they could move someone like starter Merrill Kelly, who’ll make just $5.25MM in his final year of team control. Perhaps a Kelly deal could bring back a controllable infielder, and Sawdaye also floated the possibility of a “prospect-for-prospect-type deal” eventually coming together. The D-Backs themselves were part of perhaps the most notable trade of that kind in recent memory, when they picked up Gallen from the Marlins for Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the 2019 trade deadline.

There seems to be a bit of room on the books for the front office to make some upgrades, even if none of Sawdaye’s comments portend a pursuit at the top of the market. Jason Martinez of Roster Resource projects the D-Backs’ 2022 commitments around $80MM at the moment, and non-tenders of players like Christian Walker, Noé Ramirez and Caleb Smith could knock a few million dollars off that mark. Arizona entered the 2021 campaign with a payroll just shy of $96MM, in the estimation of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. If owner Ken Kendrick is willing to spend at that level again, then Arizona could be more active than one might expect in augmenting the roster around the margins.

GM Mike Hazen Discusses Diamondbacks’ Season, Defense, Marte

By Mark Polishuk | September 23, 2021 at 2:21pm CDT

Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen spoke with The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan (multiple links), The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro and other reporters on Tuesday about several topics related to the team’s rough season, though Hazen demurred about the broad decision facing the team when asked if the D’Backs were planning to rebuild or if they would try to contend in 2022.

“I am going to punt that question for 13 more days,” Hazen said, referring to the very end of the regular season. In general, Hazen and other team officials are still in discussions and meetings about the state of the franchise in the wake of Arizona’s disastrous 48-104 record. The D’Backs are currently tied with the Orioles for the worst record in baseball, and “we need to understand exactly what’s happened and how it’s happened.”

Naturally, multiple factors combined to turn 2021 into a nightmare year for the Diamondbacks, so there is no shortage of analysis that needs to take place within the Arizona front office. Since Hazen’s interview on Tuesday, however, one notable decision has already been made, as Hazen announced this afternoon that manager Torey Lovullo has been signed to a contract extension that will run through the 2022 season, with a club option for 2023.

Hazen said Tuesday that the fault for the Diamondbacks’ issues didn’t lie with Lovullo or any one person, and took his own share of responsibility: “The job I’ve done should be scrutinized fairly heavily. As much as we’ve talked about others, we should be talking about me.” Hazen’s own contractual status isn’t publicly known, as the terms of his multi-year extension in September 2019 weren’t announced. Hazen’s original deal ran until the end of the 2020 season, and it is fair to guess that at least two or three additional years were added in this new contract.

Off-the-field concerns also certainly play a role in Hazen’s future. He took a physical leave of absence from the team in June in order to spend time with his family and care for his wife, Nicole, as she battles brain cancer. Hazen praised his front office colleagues (assistant GMs Amiel Sawdaye and Mike Fitzgerald, and special assistant Allard Baird) for their work, and he noted that “I feel like I’ve done my job to the best of my ability and locked into the same things I’ve locked into before.”

One organizational aspect that seems likely to change is how the Diamondbacks approached their need for defensive versatility, as Hazen said “I do think that we probably have” had players playing out of their ideal position too often. “If we’re playing guys out of position, if we’re asking guys to do too much, if the level of preparation for three different guys is not possible for four or five guys, all those things are things we’re going to have to work through,” the GM said.

While every team strives to have a flexible roster complete with multi-position options, injuries and a lack of performance forced several D’Backs players into unfamiliar roles in 2021. The results have been mediocre at best, as the Diamondbacks are 18th of 30 teams in UZR/150 (-1.1), 21st in Outs Above Average (-10), and tied for 28th in Defensive Runs Saved (-48).

That said, “it is the easiest thing in my mind that we have a chance to go into this offseason and — fix is the wrong word, I don’t know exactly what’s broken — lock down on being a good defensive team,” Hazen said. “We have that within our capability….I think we’ve pushed that [moving players around the diamond] to the limit and I think you’ve seen the dam break a little bit this year. I do think we have to start honing in on who is going to thrive in that setting and who would be better off locking down one spot. Those are going to be part of the conversations we’ll be having.”

This could extend to the Diamondbacks’ best player, Ketel Marte. Hazen implied that Marte would mostly stick at one position in 2022, which would appear to be second base based on Marte’s recent comments to Lovullo. Marte has played mostly at the keystone in both 2018 and 2020, but the D’Backs have used him primarily as a center fielder this year, and also as a shortstop in the past. From a defensive standpoint, Marte has looked far more solid as a second baseman than at other positions, so Arizona might simplify matters by just using Marte every day at second base next year.

Whether Marte will be on the Diamondbacks’ roster at all might be a matter of some debate. If the D’Backs did look to embark on a rebuild, Marte (who is controlled through 2024 on a pair of club options) would be a prime trade chip, though he wasn’t moved at this past trade deadline, as Hazen said in June that the team was looking to keep its core group of talent together. That perspective might well change as the offseason begins, should the D’Backs indeed decide that an overhaul is needed, or perhaps if another team simply makes an offer for Marte that Hazen feels is too good to pass up.

Injury Updates: Brito, Marte, Belt, La Stella, Kershaw

By Mark Polishuk | July 31, 2021 at 8:59pm CDT

Phillies Triple-A prospect Daniel Brito collapsed in the first inning of today’s game, and had to be taken off the field via ambulance. According to a statement released by the team, Brito is currently undergoing surgery at a local hospital, but no other details were provided. (Sal Maiorana of The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle has a fuller account of the on-field situation.)

Brito is in his sixth pro season, all in the Phillies organization, and he earned his first promotion to Triple-A after hitting .296/.363/.457 in 275 PA for Double-A Reading this season. We at MLB Trade Rumors wish all the best for Brito in the wake of this terrifying incident, and we hope he has a full recovery.

More on injury situations from around baseball…

The Diamondbacks reinstated Ketel Marte off the 10-day injured list today. Marte missed just over a month due to a left hamstring strain, and between this injury and a right hamstring strain earlier in the season, Marte has appeared in only 37 games in 2021. On the plus side, Marte had been hitting extremely well (.370/.419/.556 in 148 PA) when he was able to play, so he still has two months to salvage something positive from what has been a lost season for the D’Backs. Since Arizona had no intention of dealing Marte or any other core players, the IL stint seemingly didn’t scuttle any potential Marte trades prior to the deadline.
Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle) that Brandon Belt and Tommy La Stella are hopefully within 7-10 days of rejoining the team. Belt has missed a little over a month with a knee injury, while La Stella hasn’t played since May 2 due to both a hamstring injury and a fractured hand.
There is some doubt as to whether or not Clayton Kershaw will make his 60-pitch sim game tomorrow, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times) that the star left-hander has “some residual soreness” in his throwing elbow. A bout of forearm inflammation sent Kershaw to the IL on July 7, and while he was expected back in August, this development could possibly throw a wrench into that timeline. To be clear, Roberts indicated that Kershaw might still throw the 60-pitch anyway, just that it wasn’t set in stone that the sim game would indeed take place as planned.

Report: D-backs Telling Teams Ketel Marte Won’t Be Traded

By Steve Adams | July 2, 2021 at 1:01pm CDT

Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte will be one of the most coveted names on this summer’s trade market, but unlike impending free agents Eduardo Escobar and Asdrubal Cabrera, Marte is far from a lock to be traded. To the contrary, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the D-backs have plainly told multiple clubs that Marte won’t be traded. It’s always possible there’s some posturing in such statements, and a large enough offer can make any team consider moving even the most “untouchable” of players. Still, it’s telling that to this point, Arizona apparently hasn’t seemed particularly inclined to listen.

In that same vein, D-backs assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye spoke with the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro about the team’s general approach at the deadline. Broadly speaking, Sawdaye expresses reluctance to trade any long-term, core pieces (e.g. Marte) while also noting that there could be “different dynamics at play in the offseason than there might be in the next three or four weeks.”

Just who the Diamondbacks consider to be core pieces can be debated to an extent, but Marte, who is signed through 2024, is clearly at the forefront of that group. Right-hander Zac Gallen is controlled through the 2025 season, while catcher Carson Kelly is controlled through ’24 and infielder Josh Rojas through ’26. Lefty Caleb Smith, who has pitched quite well since moving into the rotation last month, is perhaps more attainable given that’s controlled through the 2023 campaign.

While Marte is currently on the injured list thanks to a strained hamstring, it’s nevertheless been a brilliant season for the versatile 27-year-old. A switch-hitter capable of playing second base or anywhere in the outfield, Marte is out to a .370/.419/.556 start with four homers and 13 doubles through 148 plate appearances. He’s walked at a respectable (albeit slightly below-average) 8.1 percent clip while striking out at a 14.2 percent rate that is nearly 10 percent lower than the league average. This season isn’t a random outlier, either; Marte slashed .329/.389/.592 in a full season back in 2019 and has combined for a very strong .302/.362/.507 line in his past 1551 plate appearances dating back to 2018.

Marte’s play alone is enough to make him one of MLB’s most sought-after trade candidates, but the contract extension he signed prior to the 2018 campaign has sent his trade value through the roof. That five-year contract guarantees Marte $24MM in total and also includes a pair of club options valued at $10MM (2023) and $12MM (2024).

Those yearly salaries make Marte affordable enough for even small-market clubs, and the $4.8MM annual value is enormously appealing to clubs who find themselves in the vicinity of the luxury-tax barrier. To this point in the season, Marte has been speculatively linked to both New York clubs at length, though there aren’t really any contending clubs who couldn’t find a way to work Marte into their lineup and payroll.

Sawdaye’s comments, while somewhat vague, do suggest that the D-backs will be a bit more open to exploring trades of this magnitude (though not necessarily Marte himself) in the offseason. Trades of controllable, high-end players are typically complex in nature — the sort that teams are reluctant to rush while simultaneously juggling other trade negotiations (as the D-backs will be doing this month with Escobar, Cabrera, Merrill Kelly, David Peralta and others). A wider base of teams also figures to inquire over the winter, as current rebuilders and/or non-contenders look to change their fortunes in advance of the 2022 campaign.

As always, this sort of topic is one that shouldn’t be addressed in absolutes. Even the best and most valuable players in the game are only “untouchable” until the right return is offered. It’s notable that the D-backs aren’t planning to actively shop Marte themselves, though, and seems likely that an interested party would need to approach the Diamondbacks with a particularly sizable offer to even get talks rolling. Regardless of their current stance, other clubs will surely try to sway the Arizona front office’s mindset in the four weeks between now and the July 30 trade deadline — and if that doesn’t bear fruit, we can probably expect an offseason full of rumblings on the Ketel Marte front.

Diamondbacks Place Ketel Marte On Injured List

By Anthony Franco | June 28, 2021 at 5:58pm CDT

The Diamondbacks announced they’ve placed center fielder Ketel Marte on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 27, with a left hamstring strain. Righty Humberto Castellanos has been recalled from Triple-A Reno to take his place on the active roster.

Marte left last Tuesday’s game with hamstring tightness. After resting for three days, he attempted to return to action on Saturday. Marte almost immediately aggravated the injury upon his return, pulling up while jogging out a first-inning single. He departed Saturday’s game and was sent for further testing today.

There’s no reason for the Diamondbacks to take any chances with their franchise player. At 22-57, any hope Arizona had of competing this season has long since gone out the window. That’s through no fault of Marte, who has a fantastic .370/.419/.556 line through 148 plate appearances.

Marte’s performance and the D-Backs place in the standings has led to some speculation he’d be a potential midseason trade candidate. That never seemed especially likely, though. Marte is under affordable team control through 2024, and Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen has pushed back against the notion the team needs to undergo a full-scale rebuild. Marte’s trip to the IL only seems to reduce the possibility he changes uniforms this summer.

Ketel Marte Leaves Game Early With Left Hamstring Tightness

By Anthony Franco | June 22, 2021 at 11:01pm CDT

10:26 pm: Marte was removed due to left hamstring tightness, the D-Backs announced.

10:10 pm: Diamondbacks star center fielder Ketel Marte left this evening’s game against the Brewers in the first inning. He hit a double but appeared to favor his left leg as he ran the bases, notes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Josh Reddick replaced Marte, with Pavin Smith moving from right to center field to accommodate Reddick’s entrance in right.

It’s a worrisome development for the D-Backs, who already lost Marte for six weeks earlier in the year due to a hamstring strain. His previous injury was to his right leg, while tonight’s appears to be to his left. When he has been healthy enough to take the field, the 27-year-old has been dynamic. Marte is hitting a fantastic .366/.415/.552 across 147 plate appearances this year. It’s a return to his 2019 form, when Marte finished fourth in NL MVP award voting, and a definitive bounce back from his average 2020 campaign.

Between his elite performance and the Diamondbacks league-worst 21-53 record, Marte has drawn plenty of attention from fans of other teams eyeing potential midseason upgrades. There’s been little indication the Arizona front office has any interest in moving Marte this summer, though. He’s guaranteed a modest $8MM in 2022 and controllable via cheap club options through 2024, so there’s no urgency for the D-Backs to part with him.

Indeed, general manager Mike Hazen seemed to cast doubt on a trade involving a player of Marte’s caliber last week. He didn’t explicitly rule out the possibility, of course, but Hazen spoke of “anchoring” the organization around a group of quality, controllable position players. Marte is precisely that type of player, so there’s not much evidence he’d be a particularly likely trade candidate, even if this latest injury doesn’t turn out to be a serious issue.

Diamondbacks Reinstate Ketel Marte

By Connor Byrne | May 19, 2021 at 5:43pm CDT

The Diamondbacks announced that they have reinstated Ketel Marte from the 10-day injured list and optioned outfielder Nick Heath to Triple-A Reno.

Arizona has gone almost the entire season without Marte, who landed on the IL on April 8 with a right hamstring strain. The 27-year-old began the season as the Diamondbacks’ No. 1 choice in center field, and they’ve since left the position to a combination of Heath, Tim Locastro, Pavin Smith and Daulton Varsho. D-backs center fielders rank a below-average 23rd in fWAR (minus-0.2) and 24th in wRC+ (80).

Marte, 27, was red hot to begin the campaign, as he slashed .462/.500/.846 with two home runs in 28 plate appearances. That was more like the MVP-contending Marte the Diamondbacks saw in 2019, not the one who hit .287/.323/.409 with two homers in 195 PA last year.

NL West Notes: Dickerson, Belt, Taylor, Weaver, Marte

By Mark Polishuk | May 16, 2021 at 7:46pm CDT

The Giants activated outfielder Alex Dickerson off the 10-day injured list prior to today’s game with the Pirates, and Dickerson went 1-for-5 with a single in the 4-1 San Francisco victory. Dickerson only missed the minimum 10 days while recovering from a right shoulder impingement, and he’ll look to get on track at the plate after hitting only .213/.276/.338 over his first 87 plate appearances. Dickerson was a much more productive hitter in 2019-20, batting a somewhat under-the-radar .286/.350/.529 in 360 PA, all but 19 of which came in a Giants uniform.

Dickerson’s return could help a lineup hampered by the continued absence of Brandon Belt, who was a late scratch for today’s game. Belt left Tuesday’s game due to left side tightness and has made only two appearances since (one as a starter, and one as a pinch-hitter). It’s possible an IL stint might be necessary for Belt, who has impressed with a .233/.360/.495 slash line and eight home runs in his first 125 PA of the season.

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