Ketel Marte slashed .276/.358/.485 in 2023, won the NLCS MVP during the Diamondbacks’ World Series run, and later finished third in the 2024 NL MVP voting, yet the Arizona Diamondbacks’ second baseman could now be the biggest name on the trade board as general manager Mike Hazen eyes change.
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“I think we need to look at some ways to shake the team up a little bit,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said in an interview with The Arizona Republic reporter Nick Piecoro on Thursday. “I think we’ve had this team together for a long time. We’ve had some success, but we’re going to find ways to make some changes in some cases. I don’t know where that’s going to take us.”
Hazen’s comments suggest incremental adjustments rather than wholesale overhaul.
Three straight near misses explain the urgency. The Diamondbacks ended the season with an 86-76 record, placing third in the NL West, and missed out on the final Wild Card spot to the Philadelphia Phillies on the last day of the season, featuring mostly the same core that made it to the 2023 World Series. Marte draws the most attention.
In early October, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick expressed, according to MLB Trade Rumors, his hope that Marte would “overcome his consistent acts of immaturity.”
The frustration traces to August. Marte skipped an August game at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox without alerting the club, landed on the restricted list, then the injured list, and sat two weeks before apologizing.
Manager Torey Lovullo signaled a shift in approach as well, saying “at a certain point, I have to allow them (players) to advocate for themselves,” as relayed by MLB Trade Rumors.
In previous years, Lovullo had been protective, including when Marte missed the first series after the 2025 All-Star break because of a trip to the Dominican Republic. That shift in approach has put Marte’s future in play.
Other teams have already expressed an early interest in acquiring Marte. Piecoro noted early interest from other teams as the trade market reopened, following the Diamondbacks’ pursuit of a deal last winter while seeking controllable starting pitchers.
Marte earned 10-and-5 rights in April, with 10 years of service, the last five in Arizona. Though Marte holds veto power over any deal, the Diamondbacks have signaled openness to moving him. That full no-trade protection would not carry over to a new club, though his camp could seek a kicker.
The money is only part of the equation. Marte is owed $87.5 million over five years, with $12 million due in 2027, half of which is deferred, before salary jumps to $20 million in 2028 and $22 million in each of the next two seasons.
On the field, Marte posted 22 home runs and a .249/.316/.432 line over 624 plate appearances at age 33, hitting .307/.359/.571 against lefties but .230/.301/.386 against righties, where his .257 BABIP sat below his .295 career mark.
Moving him also opens a hole at second. Prospect Demetrio Crisantes should open 2027 in the minors, outfielder Jordan Lawlar left the dirt after defensive struggles, and utility players Tim Tawa and Jose Fernandez project as bench options.
Elsewhere, right-hander Michael Soroka (3.41 ERA over 116 innings) declined his $10 million mutual option, while starter Zac Gallen and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are off the books as ownership eyes a payroll cut.
Right-hander Corbin Burnes declined to opt out, so the rotation keeps its anchor alongside starters Eduardo Rodríguez, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt. Whether Hazen can reshape the lineup around that group may hinge on Marte’s willingness to move.