On Thursday morning, Aug. 20, the Arizona Diamondbacks found themselves just as bewildered as their supporters, as team president and CEO Derrick Hall described the ongoing Ketel Marte situation as “still a complete mystery; it’s just bizarre.”
Speaking with the team’s flagship radio station, Arizona Sports 98.7, Hall—who had traveled with the club to Boston for their three-game set—offered some clarity regarding the events of the last several days.
Hall remarked, “On Sunday evening at the Boston hotel, he seemed completely alright, but then he simply failed to show up.”
Hall shared that he skipped Monday’s matchup—which ended in an 11-1 blowout defeat amid the distraction surrounding Marte—choosing instead to remain at the hotel where he was “speaking with Mike (general manager Mike Hazen) frequently and letting Ketel know I was there if he wanted to talk.”
During the previous season, Marte also spent time away from the team after the All-Star break because of private matters.
“A precedent of this sort exists,” Hall noted. “We will need some explanations and apologies from him.”
Hazen was expected to have a conversation with Marte later in the day on Thursday.
“Undeniably, (Marte) is a highly skilled athlete and a fantastic competitor,” Hall stated, reinforcing that not even a star player is exempt from organizational guidelines. “Every athlete who is obligated to show up at the stadium must do so, unless prior arrangements have been made. …
“If a player is dealing with an injury, they are expected to report for medical care. We are holding back our conclusions at this point since we don’t have his side of the story yet.”
Statements released by Marte’s representative on Wednesday indicated the situation stemmed from a private concern.
“Everyone was with him during the travel from Atlanta to Boston,” Hall recalled. “He was present at the hotel with the rest of us, but then he simply did not come along.
“We need to understand the reasoning. From there, we might find a way to support him. If this truly is a private matter, as his representative claims, we need to know the details.”
According to Hall, Hazen has “remained in continuous telephone contact with his agent, while attempting to get in touch with the player directly as often as possible.”
Hall also noted that franchise owner Ken Kendrick has participated in these ongoing conversations.
“This situation has taken a toll on everyone,” he admitted. “Ken, Mike, and I have spent countless hours on calls, just walking back and forth in our hotel rooms.
“We must approach this with extreme caution. I won’t have much more to share until we have a face-to-face meeting with him.”
The Diamondbacks were projected to get back to the Phoenix area around noon, after their flight was rerouted to Las Vegas due to severe weather on Wednesday. Despite the distractions, the team managed to save the finale in Boston, securing a 7-6 victory in 10 innings on Wednesday.
“Securing that win yesterday was crucial,” Hall commented. “This squad has a lot of fight in them.”
Following a rest day on Thursday, the club kicks off a stretch of home games on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds.
This piece was first published by the Arizona Republic: D-backs president discusses the ongoing, ‘bizarre’ Ketel Marte situation
