Ketel Marte storyline won’t go away because Diamondbacks won’t let it
It is up to the Diamondbacks to figure out how to better handle all aspects of the Ketel Marte story better -- for the sake of the clubhouse and the fans.
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The Ketel Marte chatter about missing games has been back in circulation to the dismay of fans and especially Marte supporters, some of whom blame the media for stirring the pot again.
It’s a tiresome storyline. But if the Diamondbacks wanted this to go away, members of the organization would stop putting it out there.
The latest qualms point to an organizational issue more than a Marte one, at this point. The Diamondbacks have opted to ride with their star player, as he earned a no-trade clause this spring. They know the deal with him.
Marte has dealt with various ailments, and taking certain days off allows him to manage his body. That’s fair for a 32-year-old star, but the timing of this latest request evidently rubbed some people the wrong way.
Marte’s latest transgression, so to speak, was pretty mild compared to what went down last year. He missed a game in June while dealing with his typical back and lower body tightness. Had he sat out any other game during the homestand, this is not a story.
But he sat out a matchup with Shohei Ohtani pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers when the D-backs had an opportunity to capture two of the first three games against L.A.
It was a headliner matchup against the reigning MVP, and Marte’s absence led to this fallout. Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported the nuanced details of Marte’s absence, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who has covered the sport since the 1980s, later reported that the decision frustrated some within the organization.
Fellow baseball reporter Francys Romero has since reported that there were no “issues” between the sides.
When Marte sat, Ohtani carved up the Diamondbacks en route to a 7-0 Dodgers win, which didn’t help the already poor optics of the situation.
If there was no imminent threat of injury, sitting him on Friday against the Nationals instead would have avoided all this noise. Or perhaps on the Sunday before the Dodgers series. If Marte gave them no choice, then team leadership, including manager Torey Lovullo and general manager Mike Hazen, needs to find a better path forward if the status quo continues to cause frustration. Or simply deal with it.
To Marte’s credit, he’s only missed four games this season. He’s on pace for 152 games, his most since 2018.
He also hit the walk-off home run one day later. Time to move on.
On the other hand, that game felt bigger, and “segments” of the franchise expressing more frustration with a star player to national and local media, unfortunately for many, sparks a talking point. Readership on such a topic suggests it resonates with the fanbase, as well (To peek behind the curtain, way more people read about Marte missing games than winning NL Player of the Week).
The facts are that Marte is a great player who deserved criticism for missing a key game down the stretch of the 2024 season, and his inexcusable handling of the All-Star break last season exacerbated the issue. Those instances were disservices to the fans and the team and cannot happen again. He apologized publicly.
He has ranked third on the team in total games played this season.
Regarding this latest absence, Marte said via Spanish interpreter, “We’re all human, and we all need a day here and there.”
With his past, Marte will operate under a microscope when it comes to missing games going forward.
As long as those on the inside continue to put this feeling out there when he misses notable games, this storyline will probably pop back up.
It is what it is, and it is up to the organization to figure out how to handle all aspects of this story better — for the sake of the clubhouse and the fans.
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Comments
15 Comments
The hell it is. In my 50-plus years of watching professional sports there is one thing that remains a constant: losing franchises always circle the wagons when a thread of truth, or a question of accountability or responsibility rears its head.
Then again, our media is, once again, not asking the right question of the right person. Torey should be asked why he's had a history of sitting his best players, or being far too tolerable with such attitudes in his clubhouse; particularly in the Ohtani game.
Loservullo should be answering the questions about his actions why Marté was sitting that day with everyone guessing and questioning the injury rationale.
Frankly, Lovullo is a loser, surrounded by losers.
Why is this guy still speaking through an interpreter?
The story won't go away because THE MEDIA won't let it. Hazen and Lovullo are OK with it. That's all that matters.