Ketel Marte won't be traded by Diamondbacks as Arizona chooses to keep one of MLB's most underrated players

Marte has put up big numbers and is on a team-friendly deal, but he irked some teammates during the 2025 season

One of the game's top infielders and most underrated players will remain in Arizona. The Diamondbacks will keep second baseman Ketel Marte, The Athletic reported Friday. The D-backs discussed Marte in trade talks with several teams this offseason, but ultimately will keep him in 2026 and very likely beyond given his looming no-trade rights.

"This isn't going to continue to linger. We need to focus our offseason," D-backs GM Mike Hazen said last week (via MLB.com). "Again, my gut this whole time was that (a Marte trade) 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."

Marte, 32, is coming off another superlative season, one in which he authored a .283/.376/.517 batting line with 28 doubles and 28 home runs in 126 games. Durability has been an issue at times -- Marte has played 140 games once in the last five seasons -- but when he's on the field, he's a middle-of-the-order force who combines power with a low strikeout rate.

Marte will pick up full no-trade protection as a 10-and-5 player (10 years of service time, including the last five years with the same team) on the 10th day of the 2026 season. For all intents and purposes, this offseason was the last chance for the D-backs to trade Marte before he could veto a deal. Keeping him makes is likely he will remain in Arizona for the duration of his contract.

That contract is very team-friendly, which explains all the trade interest. Here is what remains on the seven-year, $116.5 million extension Marte signed last April:

• 2026: $15 million
• 2027: $12 million
• 2028: $20 million
• 2029: $22 million
• 2030: $22 million
• 2031: $11.5 million player option

That's six years and $102.5 million, assuming Marte picks up the player option in his age-37 season. That contract also includes $5.5 million in annual salary escalators based on MVP voting, which he triggered in 2024. His third-place finish in the voting that year boosted his 2025 salary from $14 million to a still-very-team-friendly $17 million.

With Marte off the board, the market could soon pick up for free agent infielders Bo Bichette and Alex Bregman, who are reportedly drawing interest from some of the same teams that were in on Marte. That includes the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners.

This past season Marte reportedly irked some D-backs teammates when he left the team for a few days after his home had been burglarized during the All-Star break. Some players also reportedly griped to manager Torey Lovullo that Marte takes too many days off in general. Lovullo and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo did come to Marte's defense afterward.

Arizona originally acquired Marte from the Mariners in the Taijuan Walker/Mitch Haniger trade in November 2016. He is the club's longest-tenured player.