Ketel Marte is still not exactly Mr. Popular in Arizona these days.
The Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Marte is continuing to frustrate segments of the organization by opting to take days off this season, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Sunday. Nightengale notes that Marte most recently sat out last week during a game against starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Marte, 32, is a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner who has been with Arizona since 2017, making him their longest-tenured player. But he is having a fairly lackluster year at the plate this season, batting .250 with a .754 OPS to go along with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs.
Meanwhile, Marte has appeared in 61 of a possible 65 games for the Dbacks on the year. While that might not seem like a significant number of absences, it is clear that some in the organization are still sore from the time off that Marte took last season after his home was burglarized (something Marte later apologized for after it reportedly caused frustration among his teammates).
With those internal issues apparently in mind, Arizona attempted to trade Marte over the winter before eventually pulling him off the market. But with Marte not exhibiting his usual level of production this season, the situation could be nearing a critical mass.
Marte is still signed with the Diamondbacks through the 2030 season (with a player option for 2031 as well). But it is really starting to look like both sides could benefit here from finally divorcing.
