They’ve a ritual out in Arizona. Each three or 4 years, they repeat it. The group is clicking. The squad is on the rise; the vibes within the desert are good. It’s time to signal their thrilling, switch-hitting second baseman to a contract extension. And so, in step with custom, Ketel Marte and the Diamondbacks have agreed to a brand new extension. The deal is for six years and $116 million, nevertheless it’s just a little extra difficult than that, as a result of it replaces 4 years of an present deal. Let’s get into the backstory, as a result of as I’ve famous, this isn’t an remoted prevalence for Marte and the Diamondbacks.
In 2018, Marte signed a five-year, $24 million deal. He was a younger, gifted participant nonetheless discovering his footing within the majors; over the earlier three years, break up between Seattle and Arizona, he’d hit simply .264/.319/.361, good for an 84 wRC+. However he was toolsy and thrilling, and a buzzy breakout choose coming into the season. The pact felt like an excellent one for everybody concerned. Marte went from having profession earnings of $1.3 million to being wealthy for all times in a single day, whereas the Diamondbacks signed a pleasant participant to an excellent contract.
Then Marte took off. In 2018, he hit for extra energy whereas putting out much less. In 2019, he went nova, clubbing 32 homers with a .389 on-base share and 150 wRC+ en path to a 6.3-WAR season that garnered him a fourth-place MVP end. He didn’t fairly sustain that tempo within the subsequent two years, however from 2019 by 2021, Marte was the Thirty fourth-best hitter in baseball per WAR, proper round Pete Alonso, Matt Olson, and Manny Machado. A dalliance in heart discipline, the place he by no means fairly figured issues out, damage his defensive worth. A sequence of lower-body accidents additionally hindered each his availability and his explosiveness when he was on the sector. However accidents and all, he was the Eleventh-best hitter within the sport by wRC+. We’re speaking a couple of reliable star, albeit one who performed lower than a full schedule due to his IL stays.
With three years left on his unique deal — the final of the 5 assured ones, plus two group choices — the group checked out their future commitments and future prospects, and fairly properly selected to supply Marte one other contract extension. That one was for 5 years and $76 million, three years and $52 million of which had been new years and cash. Once more, it felt like an excellent deal for everybody concerned. The Diamondbacks knew that they’d a wave of younger expertise about to succeed in the majors, and so they didn’t wish to have to exchange their greatest hitter simply because the younger guys peaked. Marte obtained a roughly market price for these years, contemplating his harm historical past, and he prevented the depressing risk of reaching free company at age 31 in a type of offseasons that happen sometimes, the place each veteran hitter struggles to land a multi-year deal and some stars suck up all of the oxygen. In 2022, it wasn’t clear that Marte would preserve a excessive sufficient degree of manufacturing to advantage a type of market-topping offers; he was clearly extraordinarily gifted, however he was coming off of two straight injury-shortened seasons and didn’t have a defensive dwelling.
After a so-so 2022, Marte has once more taken flight. A return to second base has completed wonders; he’s enhancing on protection yearly and has averaged practically 600 plate appearances per season, the healthiest stretch of his profession. He posted one other superlative offensive season final yr, with a career-high 36 homers and a 151 wRC+. The Diamondbacks narrowly missed the playoffs then, however their future seems brilliant. They’re hoping to construct the group round Corbin Carroll on offense, however he’ll want reinforcements, and Marte’s contract would have been up in three years (truly 4 counting the choice, however that detracts from the symmetry). It appears like destiny.
This time, the contract is for six years and $105 million beginning proper now, with an $11.5 million participant choice for a seventh yr. Just like the final extension, a few of it’s changing an present deal. To be exact, it’s changing the whole lot of the earlier extension’s new years, which kicked in in 2025. Earlier than this yr, he was set to make $63.8 million over the following 4 years. Now he’s going to make $105 million over six years, for an efficient addition of two years and $41.2 million plus a participant choice. Once more, that doesn’t pay him like a celebrity, nevertheless it appears like a market price for his age-35 and 36 seasons, and the participant choice is a pleasant enhance on the tip. One accounting notice: the contract is backdated relative to his present deal, with solely $41 million due over the following three years, versus $51 million with the previous construction.
Cease me should you’ve heard this earlier than, however this appears like an excellent deal for each Marte and the Diamondbacks. The partnership goes nice; why break it up? This time, Marte is getting his age-35 and 36 seasons assured, with a smaller-dollar participant choice for age 37. The speed is nothing particular, however three years? Just one participant aged 35 or over signed a deal of three years or longer this winter. That may be Nathan Eovaldi, and pitchers age otherwise than hitters. The final hitter to signal a three-year deal in free company that began at age 35 or older? José Abreu. Earlier than that, you’d be Tommy La Stella or DJ LeMahieu. It’s not one thing that occurs fairly often, is my level. That’s partially as a result of most superstars signal gargantuan long-term offers of their late 20s, nevertheless it’s additionally as a result of hitters have a tendency to say no by their mid 30s.
That’s the rationale Marte is doing it. That $40 million is a pleasant chunk of change, not far off from what he’d count on to make in free company in a median end result, and he will get to maintain taking part in for the group the place he’s excelled for practically a decade. On Arizona’s aspect, it’s much like earlier than. Having some continuity can be good, and the Diamondbacks aren’t afraid to spend, so why not spend on their long-term chief? Carroll’s future may be the brightest on the group, however Marte out-produced him final yr, and each are inarguably among the many sport’s greatest. Extra years of Carroll and Marte is healthier. It’s simple math.
Clearly, this wasn’t an extension that had to occur. Marte’s present deal would already hold him in Phoenix by 2028. That implies that either side needed to do it, as a result of in any other case, it could be simple to place it off. No settlement proper now? No biggie. We will take it up on the All-Star break, or over the winter. Nobody’s going anyplace quickly anyway. It’s a proactive alternative by either side when a veteran indicators an extension this far earlier than free company, a minimum of when an decide out isn’t concerned.
I see why everybody’s completely satisfied right here, although. Marte is a good participant, and enjoyable too. His large righty energy and utterly completely different sport as a lefty hitter is one in every of my favourite methods of exhibiting off bat velocity information to informal baseball followers – have a look at this cool factor that information can inform us about a captivating participant is an excellent subject of dialog, unsurprisingly. He’s a stable defender as of late, an all-around star.
Likewise, the Diamondbacks appear like they’re right here to remain. Their younger gamers are arriving in waves. The veterans hold producing. Want a brand new ace? They’ll exit and signal Jordan Montgomery, and if that doesn’t work, they’ll improve to Corbin Burnes. If they may signal Ketel Marte in free company, I’m certain they’d strive to try this too, nevertheless it’s much more engaging to maintain the Ketel Marte they’ve already in place. Good groups signal guys like Marte to contract extensions, and guys like that wish to play for good groups. That’s precisely what occurred right here.
This deal doesn’t have a ton of implications for 2025. The group’s the identical, the cash is fairly related, and the identical could be mentioned in yearly earlier than 2029. This extension isn’t about altering who the Diamondbacks are proper now. It’s about preserving who they’re proper now, a aggressive group with a spectacular offense with Marte as its metronome. When he goes, they go – and now that’s going to be true for a few years to return.
