Diamondbacks’ Torey Lovullo says he cannot protect Ketel Marte like he used to

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he has changed his mindset about how he protects star second baseman Ketel Marte.

Lovullo has had to answer many questions over the years about Marte, from the surprisingly complex “Where is he?” to the even more complicated “What has to change to avoid these distractions going forward?”

One of the biggest questions for the Diamondbacks this offseason is whether or not Marte — whose no-show in August caused frustration for a team fighting for playoff positioning — will be back. If so, again, how can anyone trust things will be different?

Lovullo, fresh off signing a two-year contract, gave one of his clearest answers to date.

“I think what I would tell him is what I would tell every other player, that the decisions you make are going to be on you now,” Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo.

“I’m going to eliminate protecting you the way I have. And I will allow you to go out there and answer the questions on your own behalf instead of me protecting you. I think I would change my tune in that way.

“I’ve taken the mindset that whenever anything goes wrong, it’s my fault. And I’m going to protect these players like they’re my own boys. And at a certain point, I can’t do that anymore. So I have to allow them to advocate for themselves in the proper space. That’s what I’ve learned over the past couple of years.”

 

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Lovullo and Marte have been partners in Arizona for 10 years, and there have been high points and challenges.

Marte is a three-time All-Star and the Diamondbacks’ all-time leader in games played, a distinction he earned on Sunday. These facts suggest he would be a D-back for life. Plus, he has a no-trade clause and dictates his own future.

But for four straight years, he has either no-showed or asked to miss critical games in the second halves of seasons when the margins have been slim for Arizona. He ended up missing two weeks in 2026 after getting placed on the restricted list and then the injured list, having to apologize to his teammates for a second straight season.

Fans at Chase Field booed him for his first couple of games after he returned, but those reactions simmered with time. His teammates could not wait to move on from what became a national storyline.

The front office listened to trade offers last winter but held on, as the incoming trade packages were considered subpar. Any leverage Arizona had a year ago has gone after Marte’s 10-5 rights (10 years in MLB, five on one team) kicked in.

“Ketel is a superstar player and delivered for some large pockets of the season,” general manager Mike Hazen said. “What happened in Boston, we’ve talked about already. It was an unfortunate situation for us. Torey dealt with it as well as possible.

“I think you win with star players in this game, but I’m not blind to what the clubhouse dynamic is and what the interaction between all the players. … I’m not sure we have 86 wins if we don’t have Ketel Marte. I’m just not, knowing what I had available to me in terms of a trade, going to just sit here and say that’s what would have happened.”

Hazen said he will look hard at the roster for next season now that Lovullo’s contract status has been resolved.

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