Mariners Have a New Reason to Pass on the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte Under Jason Kanzler

Last winter, the Ketel Marte made sense. The Mariners needed a bat that could change the shape of their lineup, and one of the best switch-hitters in baseball just so happened to be the shortstop they traded away a decade ago. We spent a lot of that offseason debating the cost of bringing him back. We also argued about the return the Mariners received from trading Marte to the Diamondbacks, a trade that happened on November 23, 2016. Regardless, the appeal of seeing Marte back in a Mariners uniform took all of five seconds to explain.

It still holds. Put Marte in the middle of Seattle’s order and we’d have one fewer reason to groan about the Mariners lineup. The Mariners were listed among the clubs that showed interest last offseason. If you wondered back then why Seattle didn’t push harder, it was a fair question.

Heading into the 2027 season, we now have a better question. What would the Mariners be asking Jason Kanzler to take on if their biggest move of his first winter was a trade for Marte?

Seattle went outside the organization to hire a first-time manager who spent the past three seasons running player development for the Chicago Cubs. The Mariners are asking Kanzler to get buy-in across a major league clubhouse, from the young players still trying to establish themselves to the veterans whose habits help set the tone. If Seattle is going to spend heavily on a player with that kind of influence, how he works with the people around him belongs in the conversation right along with his impact in the batter’s box.

The Boston Lineup Is the Detail Seattle Should Remember

In August, the Diamondbacks expected Marte to serve as their DH in Boston. He didn’t show up at Fenway Park. The Dbacks held their lineup until about 20 minutes before first pitch, still hoping he would arrive. The club placed him on the restricted list, and Marte later addressed the absence publicly and returned to the team.

To be fair, Marte’s circumstances deserved to be handled with care. The uncertainty his absence created for the people around him is also fair to weigh when another club is considering a deal of this size.

Kanzler will spend his first spring building relationships with players he’s never managed and setting expectations for how they’ll communicate across 162 games. The veterans who play every day will have a lot to do with whether those expectations stick. If Seattle were to trade for Marte, it’s making him central to the lineup from the day he arrives. The front office should feel just as good about putting him in that position with his teammates.

Whether Kanzler has weighed in on Marte is unknown. We can look at the hire and the roster Seattle would be asking him to manage and see why that trade wouldn’t make sense today.

Cole Young Has Given the Mariners a Reason to Leave Second Base Alone

A year ago, we were still waiting to see what the Mariners had in Cole Young. He was coming off a season where he essentially benched during the Mariners postseason push. Then he played 160 games, hit 17 homers and won the American League Gold Glove at second base. Seattle still needs a bat to place in the middle of their lineup. But the front office can afford to be picky about where that hitter plays now that Young has made the keystone his home.

Also, yes, we could slide Young over to shortstop, Colt Emerson to third and Marte to second. But let’s try writing this lineup for when Marte needs/wants time off. Young could slide back to second, or Kanzler could keep him at short and turn to the bench. If Marte can hit and just needs a day out of the field, there’s always DH. That’s also a spot Kanzler could use to keep another regular’s bat in the lineup while giving him a break from the field.

Marte has been clear about why he values that time off. In August 2025, he said his injury history was behind a rest plan he worked out with Arizona’s coaching staff to keep him on the field longer. Torey Lovullo defended his effort and his desire to win. Scheduled rest gives a manager time to set his lineup and gives Marte a way to keep playing as he gets older. Seattle still has to ask how much flexibility it would give up to accommodate that kind of plan after moving two young infielders to make room for him.

The Diamondbacks’ Price Gives Seattle Another Reason to Move On

According to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic, Marte has about $91.75 million remaining on his deal, and Arizona would prefer to clear some salary in a trade. So, it would be their preference for whomever they sent Marte to would also need to take on the money. They have explored different types of returns, from prospects to established major leaguers. Seattle would have to get comfortable with both the money it takes on and the talent it sends out. For that kind of commitment, the case has to go deeper than how good Marte would look hitting alongside the Mariners’ core talent.

Then there’s the question Arizona still can’t answer. Piecoro reported that the Diamondbacks met with Marte’s agent at the GM Meetings and came away without a clear sense of which teams he’d approve. Marte has full no-trade protection, so he can weigh where he wants to play and what role a new club has in mind before he says yes. With a potential lockout looming, Seattle could spend valuable time working through a price with Arizona and still leave the table without a deal.

We can want the Mariners to take a big swing and still be glad if this particular rumor fades. Last winter’s interest made sense. This winter, Seattle has a new manager getting to know his clubhouse and a Gold Glove second baseman who just gave the club 160 games. That’s a good starting point for an offseason. Keep Young at second, find Kanzler a hitter who fills an opening Seattle already has, and let the Diamondbacks figure out what to do about their situation with Marte.

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