Is Ketel Marte really on the market? Only Ketel Marte can decide, thanks to his 10‑and‑5 status earned in April. After ten years in the majors and five with Arizona, he now holds full veto power, adding another twist to an already strained D‑Backs‑All‑Star relationship.
The friction stems from Marte’s habit of skipping games without warning, a pattern manager Torey Lovullo noted has repeated each of the past four seasons. Reports surfaced in August 2025, a month after Marte briefly hit the restricted list following the All‑Star break, supposedly to handle a burglary fallout in the Dominican Republic. 98.7 Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro said Marte was actually on vacation there and was willing to miss a couple of games.
Teammates weren’t thrilled when Marte asked for a day off in the final week of the 2024 season, as Nick Piecoro reported while Arizona chased a wild‑card spot. The drama resurfaced in August when he missed a game at Fenway, landed on the restricted list, then moved to the 10‑day injured list with knee inflammation. He returned 14 days later and posted a .244/.317/.367 line over his last 101 plate appearances.
After his IL stint, Marte apologized to Lovullo and teammates, telling reporters his August 17 no‑show in Boston was “a moment of frustration. I’m the type of person that when something is going on in my life, I don’t like to talk about it. That morning I woke up, my body was in pain and I couldn’t react. No one made the decision for me, I’m the one that made the decision not to show up.”
If injuries were the sole cause, fans might understand, but Marte’s pattern of unexplained absences fuels speculation that he isn’t as hurt as he claims. Playing through pain is one thing; disappearing without clear explanation erodes trust.
Lovullo said in August that Marte “definitely retreats when things are on his mind, some things I cause when I crash down on him. I know [media] want me to sometimes bury him and make him feel even worse than he already does. He doesn’t respond to that… When I do it, he retreats. When something doesn’t go well, he retreats.” He added he’ll stop shielding the player, forcing Marte to own his decisions.
In my view, Ken Kendrick’s blunt comment—“Ketel, if he is a Diamondback, I hope he will be the player that he has the talent to be. I hope he will overcome his consistent acts of immaturity.”—shows genuine frustration with the situation.
Kendrick’s hint that Marte might leave Arizona suggests the D‑Backs could explore trade options again, this time with more urgency. Last winter, GM Mike Hazen entertained offers until a self‑imposed deadline around Jan. 9. The Blue Jays, Giants, Mariners, Phillies, Pirates, Rays, Red Sox and Tigers showed interest, but none met the steep asking price.
Beyond the veto clause, Marte’s numbers raise eyebrows. He posted a modest .249/.316/.432 line with 22 homers over 624 PA, a 103 wRC+ season. A .257 BABIP and a gap between .323 wOBA and .349 xwOBA hint at some bad luck, yet his walk and hard‑hit rates slipped from 2025. Most of his production came in a 42‑game surge from mid‑May to early July, leaving the rest of his performance uneven.
Despite the controversies, Arizona locked Marte into a new extension in April 2025, overwriting the final three years and a 2028 club option of his prior deal. The contract now runs through 2031 and adds $64 million in fresh money.
While a sizable portion of that salary is deferred, Marte is owed $87.5 million over the last five seasons. What once looked like a bargain now feels burdensome after a mediocre 2026 and the well‑publicized absences. At 33, teams must decide whether a change of scenery could spark a rebound or signal a decline.
Given the baggage, any suitor will likely balk at Hazen’s full asking price. A trade would probably require the D‑Backs to absorb a hefty chunk of his salary, or demand that the receiving club cover most of it while getting a low‑level prospect or two in return.
Those scenarios don’t sit well with Hazen’s camp, leaving Arizona in a bind even if Marte waives his veto. His leverage narrows options further if he only entertains a handful of destinations.
Moving Marte would be simpler if Arizona were rebuilding, but the Snakes have posted winning records in two of the past three seasons and stayed within three games of a wild‑card each year, complicating a clean exit.
Marte’s extension was one of several big payroll moves approved by Kendrick as the club pursues contention. If he departs, his salary will likely be redirected toward win‑now talent, or the D‑Backs might chase another veteran on an unfavorable deal.
Looking back, one wonders whether Arizona regrets not trading Marte last winter when they had more flexibility. His previous contract listed only five teams—A’s, Cardinals, Giants, Pirates and Yankees—on his no‑trade list.
Had they avoided the recent extension, 2027 would have been the final guaranteed year of his old deal at $14 million, with a $3 million buyout for a $13 million 2028 option. That scenario still would have left him protected by a 10‑and‑5 clause, likely demanding an extension elsewhere.
All things considered, it’s probable Marte will start Opening Day at second base for the Snakes. He still controls his fate, and he hasn’t signaled a desire to leave, but could a rival’s offer finally tip the scales?