PHOENIX – For the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ketel Marte has never been just another name on the roster. He’s the switch-hitting engine of their offense, one of the heartbeats of their clubhouse, and the clearest example of how the organization can identify, develop, and extend star-level talent. That’s exactly why every offseason rumor involving him hits hard, kind of the way Marte does. Are the rumblings of trading Marte even a possibility for Arizona?
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Sep 1, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second base Ketel Marte (4) at bat in the first inning during the game between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
D-backs Manager Torey Lovullo made his stance clear that Arizona is not trying to actively shop Marte. He acknowledged recent communication hiccups but emphasized the relationship is intact and the situation is in the past. That’s not the language of a manager preparing to lose his most dynamic player. But front-office reality is colder than clubhouse emotion, GM Mike Hazen openly says he fields calls on Marte every year, because that’s his job.
“To say that we are actively trying to push him out and move him off of the Arizona Diamondbacks is not a true statement.”
– Torey Lovullo on Ketel Marte
MLB Network + @SageUSAmerica pic.twitter.com/uMQqWL7BRS
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 10, 2025
MLB teams won’t stop calling the #Dbacks about Ketel Marte
Mike Hazen on if Arizona is actually listening:
📻 Power Alley live from the #WinterMeetings with @Mike_Ferrin @JimDuquetteGM and @JimBowdenGM
🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/L1AHqOyI2E— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) December 8, 2025
Dec 9, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manage Torey Lovullo speaks with the media during the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings at Signia by Hilton Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Where it gets murky is USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Arizona wasn’t planning a Marte trade before the Winter Meetings, but that possibility is on the table now.
Nightengale: Diamondbacks came into Winter Meetings thinking Ketel Marte would stay.
They left believing he’ll be traded.
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) December 11, 2025
Mike Hazen, General manager of the Diamondbacks, speaks to the media during Cactus League media day at the Arizona Biltmore on Feb. 18, 2025, in Phoenix.
For D-backs fans, the strategic tension is the story. Trading Marte would signal a philosophical pivot of sacrificing a franchise cornerstone for long-range pitching depth. If the D-backs get rid of Marte, their pitching assets must keep them in win-now mode, and they still might be hesitant to do so. While the rumors are flying about one the best players in baseball, him staying in the desert will be surrounded by what they get in return.
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Reporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @BenBliklen
