Diamondbacks manager defends superstar amid behind-the-scenes drama

It appears there’s some behind-the-scenes drama in Arizona. Per a report from Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, some players on the Diamondbacks are frustrated with second baseman Ketel Marte for his tendency to miss games. Most often, that appears to be due to health, though a situation around the All-Star break where Marte was absent from the club was also seemingly a source of discontent.

Marte is clearly an asset to the Diamondbacks when on the field. He has been a very productive player for the Snakes for several years now. That has not stopped as he has pushed into his early 30s. In fact, he’s arguably been at his best lately. Last year, he hit 36 home runs, drew walks in 11.1% of his plate appearances and limited his strikeouts to an 18.2% clip. He slashed .292/.372/.560 for a 151 wRC+. He stole seven bases and got strong grades for his glovework. FanGraphs credited him with 6.3 wins above replacement, tying his personal best mark in that category. Only nine position players bested him there.

This year, his production has been similar. He has slashed .296/.398/.557 for a 162 wRC+ and has been credited with 4.2 fWAR, in 47 fewer games than last year. Both Tuesday and Wednesday in Arlington, he hit go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning which ultimately proved to be game-winners.

The issue is more about him deciding not to take the field. Marte does have a notable injury history. In 2021, he was limited to just 90 games by strains of both hamstrings. Since then, smaller absences have limited him to the range of 135-150 games per year. Per Piecoro, Marte asked for a day off in the final week of the 2024 season, which “irked” teammates. This year, he “raised eyebrows” when he asked to not play the final game before the break, but then participated in the All-Star game itself. Piecoro contrasts this type of behavior with that of Corbin Carroll, who has been playing through a broken bone in his hand because he feels he owes it to the team.

Manager Torey Lovullo addressed the situation, after Piecoro’s article came out, with MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM and "The Burns & Gambo Show" on Arizona Sports. Generally, Lovullo defended Marte on the topic of knowing his own body and when it needs a break.

 “Ketel Marte has a massive heart. He is extremely emotional. He loves to play. He wants to be in the middle of everything with his teammates every single day. The body doesn’t always function the right way. And sometimes we got to listen to what he says and do what’s best for him which, in turn, will give us the best results for his production.”

One incident in particular seems to go beyond health, however. Marte was placed on the restricted list on July 18, the first day after the All-Star break, as the Snakes were set to play the Cardinals. It was reported around that time that Marte was away from the club due to a recent break-in at his Arizona home, though Piecoro now notes that Marte was in the Dominican Republic for most of the break. Per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports, Marte was supposed to travel with Carroll and Eugenio Suárez back from the All-Star Game but decided to take a vacation in the D.R. “knowing he would miss a game or two,” in Gambadoro’s words. His teammates didn’t know about his planned absence, and he didn’t find out about the burglary until he was in the D.R.

It’s possible Marte’s head was elsewhere, even before the break-in. There was a much-publicized incident in late June, just a few weeks before the All-Star break, wherein he was visibly brought to tears during a game against the White Sox in Chicago. Marte later told members of the media, including the Associated Press, that a fan was heckling him about his late mother. Marte’s mother died in a car crash in 2017. 

“A fan was up on the dugout shouting things about my mother,” Marte said. “He was like, ‘Last night I sent a message to your mother.’” Marte said he had been in Chicago to play the Cubs when his mother died, which gave the situation extra resonance. The fan was given an indefinite ban from all major league parks.

Lovullo was also asked about the All-Star break incident on "The Burns & Gambo Show," linked above. 

“I was unaware of the break-in,” Lovullo said. “I was unaware of the timing of the break-in. I was unaware of what the intentions were, what plane he was on. I just became aware of him not being ready to play a baseball game on the day, on the morning, afternoon of our first baseball game.”

At that time, the Diamondbacks were still fighting to stay in contention. By the middle of July, it still wasn’t clear whether they would go into the deadline as buyers or sellers. Marte reported to the team and was reinstated from the restricted list on July 20, missing two games. The Snakes won those two games, incidentally, but it’s understandable that his teammates would get upset about him missing key games with the season on the line. From there, the club slumped a bit and ended up selling. They traded away Josh Naylor, Merrill Kelly, Suárez, Shelby Miller and Randal Grichuk ahead of the deadline.

It’s certainly an awkward spot for the skipper. It would be fair to criticize him for not being more insistent with Marte about getting into the lineup more often, especially if it’s rankling other teammates. Oddly, Lovullo said “I don’t know what’s happening inside of our clubhouse” when discussing the situation to MLB Network Radio. On the other hand, Piecoro relays that some feel he could push Marte too hard and risk Marte “sulking or shutting down,” in Piecoro’s words.

The question now is what comes next. Piecoro and Gambadoro both float the idea of a trade but also downplay the possibility. That’s a natural speculation when rumors of discord come out of a clubhouse. The baseball world just saw plenty of ink spilled about disagreements between Rafael Devers and the Red Sox. Though he was once seemingly entrenched as a franchise player on a long-term deal, he was flipped to the Giants in the wake of those stories.

On the other hand, scuffles like this quickly blow over sometimes. Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil of the Mets got into a fight during a game in 2021, but they put that behind them and have been teammates for many years since then.

Marte is signed through the 2031 season. He is owed $102.5M after this year. That includes an $11.5M player option for 2031. Given his talents, plenty of clubs would be interested in acquiring him at that price point. However, it’s also possible teams may wonder if they would be acquiring a somewhat injury-prone player who is moving towards his mid-30s and who may not have 100% commitment to the game. Marte’s deal does not have no-trade protection but he will have 10-and-5 rights a few days into the 2026 campaign.