There has been no shortage of drama surrounding star second baseman Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks in recent weeks. Marte was a no-show at Fenway Park for a Monday game against the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 17 with no explanation. This resulted in the Diamondbacks placing him on the restricted list.
Marte would then travel back to Arizona to get an MRI on his knee shortly thereafter. After finally meeting with Diamondbacks' brass several days later, Marte was placed on the injured list with left knee inflammation.
Why are Diamondbacks fans frustrated with Ketel Marte?
While on the IL, Marte was seen at a casino in Arizona during one of the Diamondbacks' games.
It was later reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic ($) that Marte is currently dealing with the loss of a close family member.
The three-time All-Star returned from the IL on Monday, apologized to his teammates and addressed the media.
"It's a moment of frustration," Marte said on Monday regarding his absence in Boston. "... I get along really well with (manager Torey Lovullo). In that instance, I failed him by not showing up. That morning I woke up, my body was in pain. No one made the decision for me. I'm the one who made the decision not to be there."
But with Marte, the damage has already been done, and this isn't the first time that Marte has been a no-show in the past four seasons. So what might the future hold for Marte and the Diamondbacks?
Rivals suggest Diamondbacks could choose Ketel Marte over Torey Lovullo
I spoke with rival executives and scouts about how they think the Marte situation will play out in Arizona this offseason. One rival NL scout suggested that the Diamondbacks could choose Marte over Lovullo, with the manager's contract expiring after the 2026 season.
"I think it's more likely (the Diamondbacks) clean house," the scout said. "The executives and Lovullo royally screwed it up, by 1. Not trading (Marte) before he had 10/5 rights and 2. Lovullo getting emotional at the presser and the mixed messaging."
"Most likely (situation) is that Lovullo (won't be back) or Ketel waives his no-trade this offseason," the scout added.
Marte has a full no-trade clause after achieving 10 years of service time and five consecutive seasons with the Diamondbacks in April. He is under contract through 2031 (player option in final year) after signing a six-year, $116.5 million extension with Arizona in 2025. In other words, he won't be easy to move in the offseason even if the Diamondbacks want to ship him out of town. And of course there are the antics that come with his abilities as well.
"I’d say right now (it's) 60/40 (Marte) doesn’t get traded because he’s proven to be a pretty massive headache," one NL executive said.
Another NL scout weighed in on whether Marte gets traded or not.
"I wouldn’t think so considering how good (Marte) is," the scout said. "Depends on the appetite of their front office/clubhouse and what they want, though. And the industry. (There are) so many layers."
The Diamondbacks, at 73-67, are a half game back of the San Diego Padres for the third and final NL Wild Card spot. As reported by Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports, Lovullo likely needs to make the playoffs to keep his job. And rivals suggest that the Diamondbacks could choose Marte over Lovullo in the offseason.
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