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The Arizona Diamondbacks have once again placed All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte on the trade block, and this time the situation carries greater urgency and a lower asking price. Rival executives sense a stronger likelihood of a deal materializing, even though the split could become contentious. The organization remains displeased that Marte declined to report for a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox from Aug. 17-19 last year—a stretch that may have determined whether the D-backs reached the postseason or stayed home.
Marte sat out three games while on the restricted list and another 10 on the injured list at his own request. Arizona ultimately fell two games short of a playoff berth. Although Marte apologized to teammates and the organization after the incident, resentment has persisted. As of April 2026, Marte has accrued 10-and-5 rights, meaning he can veto any trade.
“I think my stance with all of the guys has been the same,” Mike Hazen, the D-backs' president of baseball operations, said Tuesday afternoon during his GM availability with reporters. “I don't think we're in a position to just run back what we did. We haven't made the playoffs in three years. If you don't make the playoffs, I think just making some small tweaks at the edges of the roster is necessarily going to get bigger change. I think we have to just be open-minded that there might be some other things, other ways out there, and explore those things. I don't feel like we're in a position in the market, I don't feel like we're in a position as a team, I don't feel like we're in a position of what we've accomplished over the last couple of years, to just say that we're good.”
When asked whether another conversation with Marte is needed to inform him he's on the block again, Hazen replied: “No, I don't think so. I think it is what it is at this point. I mean, the expectation at this point is that we're going to be active, we'll see. I don't know where it's going to take us yet, but I don't think we have wrapped our heads around, ‘Are we good enough as currently constructed, and just run it back out there and hope that we get two more wins this next year?' I think that's the problem we need to solve.”
Following last season, everyone from Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick to president Derrick Hall to manager Torey Lovullo insisted they would no longer tolerate further unexcused absences. Such incidents have now occurred in four consecutive seasons, and the team is adamant it won't happen a fifth year. “The decisions you make are going to be on you now,” Lovullo said after the season. “I'm going to eliminate protecting you the way I have. And I will allow you to go out there and answer the questions on your own behalf instead of me protecting you.”
Kendrick told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM: “That is what his manager should be doing, not me. I don't mean it to come out as if I don't have any responsibility in all of this. I do. But the primary responsibility for the ballplayers is the field manager, once they're selected by the general manager. We've had a lot of good results from Ketel, and we've had some unfortunate acts of immaturity, and that needs to end.”
Marte, 32, batted .249 last season with 22 home runs, 76 RBIs and a .748 OPS in 141 games. He still has five years and $89.25 million remaining on his contract. While he could veto any trade, the D-backs have yet to ask him which teams he'd be willing to accept a trade to. “For me it's hard to go to players and have conversations that don't end up happening,” Hazen said. “You know what gets put out there publicly a lot of times isn't even remotely true. So, I don't know how to even defend against that. I can't go out and deny everything that gets sent out there. I know guys don't like having their name in the paper in the offseason. No player does. I respect that, and I try not to talk about that, but I feel like talking about things that don't end up happening end up creating more issue. That's just my personal stance on it. I know everybody's different. Everybody wants to be communicated to differently. Everybody appreciates different levels of communication. Some don't want to know anything. Some want to know everything. It's just hard to understand all that.”
If an offer appeals to the D-backs, they will then approach Marte, but only under that circumstance, knowing a return to the team next spring remains quite possible. “Look, he's an incredible player,” Hazen said. “We're focused on trying to build the team the best way we can, and then we'll tackle whatever we need to tackle next year when we get to spring training.”
Key Analysis
The Diamondbacks face a delicate balancing act: they want to move on from Marte's disruptions while maximizing his trade value. His veto power gives him significant leverage, and the team's reluctance to engage him prematurely suggests they are wary of complicating an already fragile relationship. With Marte's contract and production, a trade may still be difficult to execute, and the possibility of his return next season cannot be dismissed.
Originally reported by yahoo.