One of the major topics of discussion this winter was Ketel Marte. Despite signing a long-term extension last April, it became apparent that the team was prepared to listen to offers for the player, before he gained full 10/5 trade veto rights this season. Now, in the end, nothing came of it. No other team was prepared to meet Mike Hazen’s high (and justifiably so) price for our All-Star, and he goes into Opening Day still under team control through at least 2023. But it does lead to an interesting question.
Should any player be absolutely off limits in trade talks?
The fact that Hazen was willing to listen to offers to Marte (whether or not he was actively being shopped) suggests that our General Manager believes the answer is no. The logic being this, would be that every player has a theoretical deal which is simply too good to pass up. But the counter-argument would be that putting players on the block sends a discomforting message to them, that they are not wanted here. You can say, “It’s just business, nothing personal,” all you want. But to the player, it very much is personal, and any employee will tell you that feeling unwanted is never going to help your job performance.
So, if Ketel Marte isn’t “untouchable”, is any Diamondback? And if not, should they be?