"Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen said at the end of December that the club was "shortly" going to cease all trade talks involving second baseman Ketel Marte, and the unofficial deadline apparently came on January 9, once reports emerged that Marte would be staying put. Probably unsurprisingly, this didn't end the trade speculation entirely, but even as the offseason player market has continued to evolve just over the last eight days, Hazen has maintained his stance that discussions are over."
"\" We've already engaged in that process. I said at the time that I set the deadline for a reason, to avoid this,\" Hazen told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert and other reporters. Hazen also noted that by telling both Marte and rival executives that trade talks have ended, he'd be risking his credibility (both with D'Backs players and in future negotiations) by going back on his word now."
"That said, there is no reason to doubt Hazen's resolve in this case. While some reports emerged last summer about clubhouse discontent directed towards Marte, it never seemed too likely that the Diamondbacks would trade a star player they signed to another long-term extension just last April. This new extension (covering the 2025-31 seasons) overwrote Marte's previous deal that ran through the 2027 campaign, and added $64MM in new money."
An end-of-December deadline closed trade discussions involving second baseman Ketel Marte, with the unofficial cutoff occurring January 9 when reports indicated Marte would remain with Arizona. The front office framed the deadline as a way to limit speculation and to protect credibility with players and other teams, making reversal unlikely absent an overwhelmingly favorable offer. Historical examples exist of teams reversing public stances, but recent circumstances make a trade improbable. Marte signed a new long-term extension in April covering 2025–31 that added $64 million in new money and leaves $102.5 million on the final six years of the contract.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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