SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- After an offseason spent listening to trade rumors, All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte found himself last week at the place he wanted to be all along -- back with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Marte reported to Salt River Fields early this year as he gets ready for not just the regular season but also for next month's World Baseball Classic, where he will once again be a key member of the Dominican Republic team.
Though he was initially signed by the Mariners and made his big-league debut with Seattle, the 32-year-old Marte came of age with the Diamondbacks. He was a part of the first trade general manager Mike Hazen made when he was hired as Arizona's GM following the 2016 season, and that deal remains one of his best.
The trade sent outfielder Mitch Haniger, infielder Jean Segura and Minor League lefty Zac Curtis to the Mariners for Marte and right-hander Taijuan Walker.
While Walker drew the headlines in the deal, Marte would turn out to be the best of all of them.
In his nine seasons for the Diamondbacks, Marte has made three All-Star teams, including starting the last two at second base, won two Silver Slugger Awards, finished third (2024) and fourth ('19) in NL MVP Award voting, as well as being named MVP of the 2023 NL Championship Series.
Along the way, Hazen has been his biggest supporter, signing him to three contract extensions, the most recent of which came last April.
Given all that, it came as a surprise to some when Hazen admitted at the end of last season that he would listen to trade offers for Marte over the winter.
With the team looking to reduce its Opening Day payroll from a record of around $195 million and holes to fill on the roster, Hazen saw Marte as his most valuable trade chip and felt he had to see what he might be able to get for him.
All along, Hazen said he didn't think a deal would happen because he was going to ask a lot in return. And in the end, no team met that price and Marte will attain 10-and-5 rights in April, meaning he can veto any future trade.
"It never ended up getting that close," Hazen said. "I felt like I had to do my job just to listen to what people had to say. He's a superstar player for us, and has been for a long time, and is going to continue to be."
Marte and Hazen had long had a close relationship, but some wondered how Marte would respond to the fact that the team was willing to listen to offers.
"It's baseball, I understand the business side of it and how it works," Marte said. "There were a few comments out there on social media that I wasn't happy with, but I love the D-backs and I want to be here."
Hazen said over the winter that he didn't talk to Marte about the rumors because he didn't think anything would come to fruition, but he made it a point to sit down with Marte face-to-face once he announced he would no longer listen to offers for him.
"We talked a lot and hashed some things out, talked it all through and everything is great," Marte said. "Mike knows I love the D-backs, I love my teammates. Everyone knows what type of player I am, and I'm just happy it all worked out and I'm here."
Hazen said he didn't apologize for listening to trade offers, but he did apologize to Marte that it all became so public.
"That's not an easy thing for a player to constantly read," Hazen said of the rumors. "I apologized for that part of it, and look, Ketel was great about it. I feel like the conversation with him was good and we'll continue to have an open dialogue as we always do. He's out here working his butt off already. We'll continue to demonstrate to him that we appreciate him and did not want to trade him. He's a superstar in the game and I think he's gonna have another great year for us."