Arizona Diamondbacks: The case for Ketel Marte at second base
Going forward, Arizona Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen has three candidates for shortstops. One solution is to move Ketel Marte to second base.
Regarded as a secondary player in general manager Mike Hazen’s lone, major trade of the last off-season, infielder Ketel Marte represents a rise synonymous with the current vocabulary of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In media sessions throughout the season, field manager Torey Lovullo referred to players in particular, and his team in general, as “trending upward.” While that was regarded a safe, political answer, those words, most of the time, had merit.
With the way the season evolved, Marte definitely trended upward.
After Marte arrived at the Salt River spring training facility, along with pitcher Taijuan Walker from Seattle, he was immediately pushed into a revolving door. Incumbents Nick Ahmed and Chris Owings held the inside edge, and when the Diamondbacks opened the season at home on April 2 against the San Francisco Giants, Owings started at short, managed a walk-off single against closer Mark Malancon, and Marte was assigned to Triple-A Reno.
By late June, that abruptly changed. Ahmed broke his hand in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, and Owings went down with a broken finger in late July.
That thrust Marte into the line-up at shortstop, and proceeded to produce at the major-league level. At the time of his recall from Reno on June 28, Marte led all in the minors with 105 hits, and finished the season at Arizona with a combined .260 batting average. In 73 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Marte hit .242 from the right side, and .268 from the left side. That included five homers, and 18 RBIs.
Good range at SS
More importantly, Marte displayed a wide range at short, and demonstrated a better than average major-league arm. All of which should disrupt the balance of power in the current Arizona Diamondbacks infield.
Not only did Marte step directly into the Arizona Diamondbacks line-up with aplomb, he drew the kind of observation needed to instill confidence. During the post-season, Lovullo told Call to the Pen that Marte’s value continued to grow.
“We knew he had a proven track record (in Marte),” he said. “When he obtained him, we were really excited about the potential. We sent him back to player development to shore up a few parts of his game, which he did. He deserves so much credit for playing a year and half in the big-league level and then finding himself in the minor leagues and not letting that affect him. That’s hard to do.”
If the Diamondbacks decide to stay with Marte, the issue for Hazen is a future in the desert for Ahmed and Owings. Because of his defensive play, Ahmed may be the better choice, and Owings recently took a downward turn.
During the post-season, Lovullo told Call to the Pen Owings was “close” to be activated on the 25-man roster, and if only as a designated pinch runner. That was taken off the table when the Diamondbacks decided to put outfielder/first baseman Christian Walker on the playoff roster. Owings continues to rehab a fractured finger and recently underwent surgery.
According to a source within the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, one thought here at the advent of the off-season is to move Marte to second, Ahmed keeps his job at shortstop, and Brandon Drury returns to third base, his natural position. That puts Jake Lamb on the trading block and estranged from the 2018 team.
Elsewhere ... right-hander Rubby De La Rosa was signed to a 2-year, minor league free agent contract, and assigned to Double-A Jackson.
After undergoing UCL Revision Surgery on his right elbow on Aug. 21, De La Rosa was granted his unconditional release on Sept. 1. The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews.
Elsewhere ... right-hander Rubby De La Rosa was signed to a 2-year, minor league free agent contract, and assigned to Double-A Jackson.
Gold Glove caliber
In the meantime, Marte continued to draw praise from Lovullo.
“(Marte) went down and earned his way back here as a more completive player,” he told Call to the Pen. “Without him, we had two shortstops go down during the year that would have devastated other organizations. Because our front office built depth and Marte stepped in there, that was a saving moment for our season.”
Elsewhere ... right-hander Rubby De La Rosa was signed to a 2-year, minor league free agent contract, and assigned to Double-A Jackson.
After undergoing UCL Revision Surgery on his right elbow on Aug. 21, De La Rosa was granted his unconditional release on Sept. 1. The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews.
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On Tuesday, Paul Goldschmidt was named as the MLB National League Gold Glove award precipitant at first base for 2017. The award was the third in his career, and previously, Goldschmidt was named as a Gold Glove winner in 2013 and 2015.
Pitcher Zack Greinke was also named as the National League pitcher Gold Glove winner. That marks the fourth straight Gold Glove for Greinke.
Since inception of the award in 1959, Greinke is the fourth NL pitcher to win four straight, and joins Bobby Schantz (1961-64), Bob Gibson (1965-73) and Greg Maddux (1990-2002, 2004, 2004-2008).
Next: MLB Free Agency 2017-18: Biggest Holes for Every Team
Elsewhere ... right-hander Rubby De La Rosa was signed to a 2-year, minor league free agent contract, and assigned to Double-A Jackson.
After undergoing UCL Revision Surgery on his right elbow on Aug. 21, De La Rosa was granted his unconditional release on Sept. 1. The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews.