Ketel Marte’s post-burglary actions irking Diamondbacks teammates

Ketel Marte is reportedly frustrating his teammates, though his manager pushed back against the severity of that narrative.

The Arizona Republic reported Thursday that some Diamondbacks players and “others in the organization have quietly grumbled about” the star second baseman’s “propensity to ask for days off.”

Marte, 31, reportedly asked for a day off in Arizona’s final game before the All-Star break.

The outlet wrote that Marte “raised eyebrows” when he “motored around the bases in Atlanta on a double in the All-Star Game” after taking a game off just days earlier. 

But Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, who said he was unaware of the timing of the break-in, didn’t feel as if he needed to address the clubhouse over it, he told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

“I will say that Ketel Marte has a massive heart,” Lovullo said. “He is extremely emotional. He loves to play. He wants to be in the middle of everything with his teammates every single day.”

During the break, Marte, who traveled to the Dominican Republic after playing in the All-Star Game, had his home in Arizona burglarized, losing about $400,000 worth of items. 

Marte then took three more games off post-All-Star break, although he stayed in the Dominican Republic rather than return to his home in Scottsdale after the burglary. 

Per the Arizona Republic report, some inside the franchise believe Marte’s “departure around the All-Star break set in motion the collapse that led to the Diamondbacks’ trade deadline sell-off.”

The Diamondbacks are in the midst of a disappointing season, sitting at 60-62 heading into Friday’s play, after finishing above .500 in each of the past two seasons, including a World Series appearance in 2023. 

The franchise traded away several key pieces — Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez, Merrill Kelly, Randal Grichuk and Shelby Miller — ahead of the deadline when it appeared a playoff run wasn’t in the cards this season.

The situation has led some of the Arizona Republic’s sources to wonder if the team should trade Marte, who has been in a Diamondbacks uniform since 2017 and signed a six-year, $116.5 million contract extension in April, over the offseason. 

Marte is one of the top second basemen in baseball, making three All-Star teams and twice finishing in the top five of the National League MVP voting. 

This year, he’s enjoying another excellent season, hitting .296/.398/.557 with 23 home runs in 89 games. 

But his actions have some of those who play alongside him every day wondering if his production is worth the trouble.

“He is a great player, they say, when he wants to be,” the Arizona Republic wrote.