Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country.
The initial dust about KetelGate has now at least somewhat settled. With the initial wave of kneejerk reactions past, I figure it might be somewhat safe to discuss the longer-term implications of the situation. While I remain spectacularly uninterested in playing Where’s Ketel?, or poring over every social media post, what does it mean
for the future of Marte in Arizona? It’s still going to be a case of shooting in the dark, because we simply do not have all the necessary information. Why he no-showed in Boston is the most obvious missing piece. While I think it’s still inexcusable, regardless of the reason, I think the specifics do matter. A key question is whether Ketel still wants to be a member of the Diamondbacks.
Ketel Marte signed a 6-year, $116.5 million contract extension with the team in April 2025. This keeps him under team control through the end of 2030, with a player option (at $11.5 million) for 2031. At the time, with Marte coming off a third-place finish in MVP voting, it seemed like a more than reasonable deal. While his production in the first season was down on that MVP-caliber campaign, Ketel was still worth 4.4 bWAR, a good start toward recovering the costs. However, there was the bump in the road surrounding his absence from the team after the All-Star break, perhaps foreshadowing this latest, more significant absence.
Is the relationship between Marte, the team and his teammates now irreparably damaged? That’s another question, to which we don’t know the answer. Reading between the lines of the public comments coming out of the locker-room, other D-backs are understandably miffed. But to me, it’s more difficult for the team to take a moral hardline after the signing of a convicted and still suspended PED user like Max Kepler. He still, as far as I know, has provided no public explanation or apology. Is skipping a game worse than PED use? Your mileage may vary: it’s certainly an arguable point.
There have already been frequent calls on social media for the team simply to cut bait with Marte. Frankly, I find that an incredibly dumb idea. Doing so would leave the team on the hook for $76 million over the next four years, not including the option year, with nothing to show for it in return. We’ve seen how a mid-market team like this is poorly positioned to take the hit from even one bad or unproductive large-scale contract, be that Yasmany Tomas, Jordan Montgomery or (before this year, anyway) Eduardo Rodriguez. Do you want the Diamondbacks to be condemned to mediocrity for the next four seasons? Because DFAing Marte is how you get that.
To some extent, the power is in Ketel’s hands because, as has been well-documented, he has the power to veto any trade, due to having reached 10/5 status (10 years in the majors, the last 5 with the same team). Therefore, if he wants to stay in Arizona, he can do so. But if he wants out, Marte will need to accept a trade – and the more flexible he is on the matter, the greater the likelihood of it happening. Because the more teams who are potentially buyers, the better the chances of GM Mike Hazen finding a deal to his liking. He does not have to trade Marte, regardless of the player’s wishes.
It’s a lot of moving parts. We don’t know Ketel’s long-term interest. We don’t know the team’s preference. We don’t know what other teams might be interested, or what the return might be. Obviously, the trade deadline has passed, so there won’t be any action this side of the off-season. But it feels like it’s something which is likely to be at least discussed over the winter. Which brings us to the question in this week’s poll. Three options: hold on to Marte, trade him regardless of the return, or trade him only if the return represents appropriate value. There’s a case to be made for each, so please explain your choice in the comments.
