LAS VEGAS — This time, there is more urgency.
This time, the price tag is lower.
This time, rival teams believe there’s a better chance of it happening, even though the divorce could be messy.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have placed All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte on the trade block again, still upset that he refused to show up a weekend series last year Aug. 17-19 against the Boston Red Sox, one that could have been the difference between the D-backs making the postseason or sitting home.
Marte missed three games while on the restricted list, and 10 games for being on the injured list at his request. And the Diamondbacks missed the postseason by two games.
Marte apologized to his teammates and to the organization after the incident, but the acrimony
continues to linger.
And as of April 2026, Marte has 10-and-5 rights – meaning he can veto any trade.
“I think my stance with on all of the guys has been the same," Mike Hazen, D-backs president of baseball operations, said Tuesday afternoon after his GM availability with reporters. “I don't think we're in a position to just like 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."
So, does that require another conversation with Marte to let him know that he’s on the trade block again?
“No, I don’t think so," Hazen said. “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."
When the season ended last year, everyone from Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick to president Derrick Hall to manager Torey Lovullo insisted that they would no longer put up with any further unexcused absences. It has now happened in four consecutive seasons. 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, who hit .249 last season with 22 homers, 76 RBIs and a .748 OPS in 141 games, still has five years and $89.25 million remaining on his contract. While he could veto any trade, the D-back have yet to ask him what teams he’d be willing to accept a trade.
“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 someone makes an offer that appeals to the D-backs, then they’ll approach Marte, but only then, knowing it’s still quite possible he’s back with the team next spring.
“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."
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can D-Backs trade All-Star who keeps going AWOL? Ketel Marte has veto power
