The biggest question of the D-Backs offseason has been trade Ketel Marte. They have reportedly fielded calls from the top third of the league with teams such as the Mariners, Red Sox and Reds heavily linked. Although general manager Mike Hazen called a star trade “highly unlikely” at GM meetings in early November, they kept the line of communication open given their roster needs.
According to Hazen, they will not maintain that status throughout the season. “We’re probably going to end (Marte’s trade talks) soon,” the GM told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. When pressed for specifics on the timeline, Hazen said he “(doesn’t) have that yet” but said they won’t be able to stay involved for long. He indicated that they may have taken Marte firmly off the table rather than come close to a deal.
“We need to focus on our offseason. And, my gut this whole time was that (the trade) wasn’t going to happen, and I think it appears that’s the case and we want to focus on other things that we need to do,” Hazen said. The GM added that negotiations so far have not “collectively” reached the significant amount they have set for moving their second star.
On the other hand, it’s easy enough to brush this off as a general manager trying to pressure interested clubs into raising their offers. Even if Hazen doesn’t set a public deadline, the Snakes can do so internally to get teams to make their best and final trade proposals. At the same time, this is generally consistent with GM’s stance on Marte trade rumors dating back to the summer. Speculation has been rife since August when multiple reports surfaced about some of Marte’s teammates being frustrated with the number of days off he was taking.
Hazen spoke with Wolf & Luke of Arizona Sports at the time and was naturally asked about a possible trade. “Ketel is one of, if not our best player,” the GM said at the time. “He’s a master in this league. He wins with superstars in this league. Yes, I know it’s a team game and putting a team together to win baseball games is also important. That’s up to us to find the right mix of players.
We went to the World Series with this player on our team (in 2023). … So this thought of where he is on our team and his inability or ability to help us win is hard for me to take. … That this is lying at his feet and where it came from now baffles me. I don’t ignore the inconsistencies with some of the things that happened. He talked about those things. We talked about those things with him.
We are not blinded by having an imperfect clubhouse and an imperfect roster. … I’m in a job and in a position to put players on the field that can win you baseball games, because ultimately that’s what it comes down to. We will put the best team on the field every day we can.”
The D-Backs, however, felt teams were the clearest way to get a controllable first pitch. They are expected to reduce their payroll from last season’s record mark of $195MM. RosterResource currently generates $168MM in revenue. Marte is set for a $15MM salary next season, but $6MM of that is deferred until 2036. They are not under any financial pressure to move him, and they are not even entering a soft building. The goal in trade talks will be to get more MLB or ready-made pieces to deepen the overall roster.
Without the salary cap, Arizona has dealt with the rotation with free agent pickups. They came back Merrill Kelly on a two-year, $40MM deal and an extra swingman Michael Soroka with a $7.5MM guarantee. They can certainly improve the rotation that includes Kelly, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt and Soroka. It’s not as pressing a need as it was two months ago, though.
The main focus now should be the bullpen, which was decimated by injuries last summer and is still without two top arms. Justin Martinez again AJ Puk. Snakes also need to decide if they are satisfied Jordan Lawler as an everyday player (either third base or outfield) and could develop in center field or first base. Rumors of the Marte trade came along with reports that snakes could do wonders Alex Bregman.
“We’re going to have to start focusing on our quality players at some point,” Hazen told Gilbert. “That’s another reason to finalize what we’re doing with the other players, so we have a little bit of an idea of what we can do and what it might look like.” Readers are encouraged to check the MLB.com column for the full scope of Hazen’s comments.
