Major League Baseball’s winter meetings have come and gone. Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte continues to be a big name in trade talks, but a potential departure from Arizona has not come to fruition yet.
As the offseason continues, D-Backs general manager Mike Hazen said he wants the Marte situation to reach a resolution soon whether that means he remains in the fold or finds a new home.
“We’re very likely to put an end to this shortly,” Hazen said, via MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert.
He didn’t specify whether that end will be a trade or Marte remaining with the Diamondbacks for a 10th season, but the D-Backs executive seems to lean toward the latter.
“I haven’t figured that out yet,” he continued regarding timing surrounding a decision on Marte. “But this isn’t going to continue to linger. We need to focus our offseason. Again, my gut this whole time was that [a trade of Marte] wasn’t going to happen, and I think it seems likely that that’s the case and we want to focus on other things we need to do.”
Gilbert’s report noted that Hazen has informed opposing teams Arizona has engaged with on Marte that time is running out. Although there has been some progress on a Marte deal, the D-Backs have not gotten “anything near” what the team would consider an acceptable package for the three-time All-Star, MLB.com reports.
Marte slashed .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs and 72 RBIs in 126 games last season as the D-Backs finished 80-82 and missed the postseason following their run to the World Series in 2023. Arizona dealt sluggers Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor to the Mariners at last season’s trade deadline. As the franchise continues to rebuild, Marte has heard his name in trade talks entering his age 32 season, currently under contract with the D-Backs through ‘31.
Those rumors haven’t resulted in a deal as of yet. As time goes on, it seems more than likely that one of the biggest bats on the market may remain with his current squad.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Diamondbacks GM Gives Crystal Clear Update on Ketel Marte Trade Talks.
