Ketel Marte tarnished what little remained of his Diamondbacks legacy

Unfortunately for those in attendance at Chase Field, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte didn’t go MIA on Monday night.

Instead, Marte returned following a controversial two-week absence and promptly received a loud showering of boos. The three-time All-Star went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk in a crushing 2-1 loss to the Phillies.

Ketel Marte didn't take responsibility for his actions

Speaking with reporters before the game, Marte apologized only to manager Torey Lovullo for leaving the team without permission. Arizona initially placed him on the restricted list before he moved to the injured list with a knee injury. 

“That morning I woke up, my body was in pain and I just couldn’t react,” Marte told reporters. “No one made the decision for me. I’m the one who made the decision to not show up.”

When asked if he wanted to apologize to fans, Marte stared at the crowd of reporters and declined to do so through a translator. However, he later claimed that he misunderstood the question.

Marte did himself no favors by wearing a hat reading “May the bridges I burn light the way.” The quote originates from “Beverly Hills, 90210,” which in itself is an odd choice and random reference from a player who turns 33 in October. 

Ketel Marte's Diamondbacks legacy is in question

We can spend days discussing Marte’s long-term future in Arizona and whether his 10-and-5 rights complicate a potential trade. But the greater question is if he realizes all that he’s done to tarnish his reputation and legacy. Even if he’ll likely be remembered as a “Hall of Very Good” or “That Dude Rocked” honoree, there is no denying that he’s been one of the sport’s most consistent players throughout the 2020s. 

Over the last decade, Marte has recorded 35.0 bWAR arriving in Arizona ahead of the 2017 season, and he’s widely considered one of the greatest players in Diamondbacks history. Only Randy Johnson (50.9) and Paul Goldschmidt (39.9) have a higher bWAR with the Diamondbacks than Marte, and in a normal situation, you’d expect the team to eventually retire his No. 4.

But what is Marte’s endgame? Does he want to stay in Arizona for the long haul, and do the Diamondbacks even still want him around? It’s fair to wonder why management even allowed him to rejoin the team, and whether they’d have done so if they weren’t in the playoff picture. Monday’s loss dropped the D-Backs a half-game behind San Diego in the Wild Card race.

A Ketel Marte offseason trade cannot be ruled out

As is typically the case, a championship makes it easy to forgive and forget. What happens, though, if the Diamondbacks miss the playoffs yet again? It’d be hard to fault any team for ruling out a Marte trade because they’d fear him quitting on them and suddenly vanishing, just as he’s done the last two summers. 

Marte signed a six-year, $116.5 million extension last year, and we’re still unsure where things went wrong. There’s been no indication that he has any personal issues with Lovullo, who has managed the veteran second baseman  throughout his entire Diamondbacks tenure. 

If Marte doesn’t understand the magnitude of his actions, then why should anyone expect him to change? He couldn’t even look the cameras in the face and express his regret to the fans who have supported him for nearly 10 years. Then, he wore a hat referencing the act of burning bridges and offered even more excuses. 

But hey, at least he got paid. We’re sure the Diamondbacks are thrilled with their decision to lock up Marte through at least 2030. 

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