Ketel Marte says he’s in great spot after difficult offseason, wants to win Gold Glove

SCOTTSDALE — Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star Ketel Marte sat down with general manager Mike Hazen at dinner before spring training to make sure they were on the same page.

After an offseason of Marte being at the forefront of Major League Baseball’s trade rumor mill, the Diamondbacks closed the door on any deal to commit fully to Marte being in Arizona.

Manager Torey Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Thursday that Marte was “a little bit hurt” by the trade talks, but the second baseman feels that he is in a great spot being back in camp for Year 10 in the Valley.

“It was a difficult offseason, but I’m glad to be here with my teammates. They love me, and I love them,” Marte said on Friday via Spanish interpreter Alex Arpiza.

On meeting with Hazen, Marte added, “Felt good to receive that invitation and be able to kind of clear the air. There was some news out there, stuff that I couldn’t control that I wasn’t really happy with out there, but it was good to be able to clear the air at that dinner.”

Hazen said he apologized not for doing his job but that Marte being out there was so public.

Marte reported to camp early and received the first at-bat of Cactus League play for the D-backs on Friday. He’s preparing to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, for which he’ll have to leave camp next weekend. His son, Keyden, has been all over the back fields making plays with the big leaguers, which Marte said is “in his blood.”

Lovullo said Marte has been doing well after “things went crazy” once Pandora’s box was open that he was attainable.

Managing general partner Ken Kendrick told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo that the club owed it to itself to listen to offers but maintained that it was highly likely Marte would be back.

“He’s a gentle giant, so we have to make sure that we’re continuing to cultivate this relationship with him, and making sure that he realizes how important he is to this organization and this community and this town and this state,” Lovullo said.

"I think he was a little bit hurt by the fact that (there was) potential trade talks."

Diamondbacks skipper Torey Lovullo spoke on Ketel Marte remaining in Arizona while on with @Bickley_Marotta for Newsmakers Week. pic.twitter.com/fAFU1HwgcX

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) February 19, 2026

Ketel Marte wants a Gold Glove

Two of Marte’s stated goals for this season are to stay healthy and to win an elusive award.

“I’ve been working on my defense. I need a Gold Glove,” Marte said. “(Nolan Arenado) is gonna help me to win the Gold Glove, and we’re gonna be better with Nolan out there. Our infield is gonna be better, for sure.”

Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte says he is in a great spot after a difficult offseason. A Gold Glove is a goal of his. pic.twitter.com/qqNYNzc5nn

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) February 20, 2026

Arenado has 10 of them, so he’s a qualified mentor for any infield defender.

Marte has come close in the past, especially in 2024 when he was a finalist with 10 defensive runs saved and eight outs above average. Milwaukee’s Brice Turang won it that year.

Marte’s metrics fell last year to one DRS and one OAA, as the infield defense as a whole took a step back. The D-backs expect more intense training this spring to pay dividends when the games count.

Putting out the fire

In regards to the well-documented missing time controversy last season, a situation for which Kendrick said Marte acted “less mature than I would have wished,” it has been described as a learning experience. Marte apologized for missing time around the All-Star break, and the club wanted to move forward.

Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo said he tried to put out a “big fire” around in the clubhouse when reports surfaced that Marte ruffled feathers in the organization, interrupting a Lovullo postgame press conference to defend Marte to the media.

“It’s a learning experience,” Perdomo told Bickley & Marotta. “Like I said, we probably don’t see anything like this before, but we move on from there and he’s in happy place right now. … In that moment, I just liked to put everything down because we were playing really good baseball. They make a big fire around the clubhouse. … It’s nothing like personal. It’s just, we came here to win.”

Geraldo Perdomo told @Bickley_Marotta that Diamondbacks teammate Ketel Marte is "in a happy place right now" as they prepare for the season.

Full interview: https://t.co/VwOsWq2vPy pic.twitter.com/0cdhibwOcY

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) February 17, 2026

Hazen said a lot happens in the clubhouse over the course of 162 games that never surfaces, and a main part of the manager’s job is to handle that environment. Nothing was mentioned as far as any specific changes.

“There’s a decision-making process, and that’s important, but getting these guys ready to play and play together for 183 straight days … all those things go into the manager’s job,” Hazen said. “There’s a lot at stake for us, and (Marte’s) a great baseball player and we’re fortunate to have great baseball players on this team.”

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