Mariners' Ketel Marte fantasy comes to abrupt end with Diamondbacks' decision

The Seattle Mariners won't be trading for Ketel Marte. You kind of already knew it intuitively, as they and the Arizona Diamondbacks lined up as trading partners about as well as cats line up with dogs.

But since a little confirmation never hurts, here's Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic with a report on Friday morning that the Diamondbacks have determined that Marte won't be traded to anyone:

This felt inevitable as of last week, when Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that the team was "very likely to put an end to this shortly." It felt like a last call for offers, in which case it would seem that Hazen didn't see any to his liking.

Mariners' Ketel Marte fantasy comes to abrupt end

Honestly? It wouldn't be surprising if we eventually learn that the Mariners never even bothered to make an offer.

There were reports here and there throughout November and December linking Seattle to a reunion with their erstwhile prospect, and the fit on their end was always clear. The Mariners want a big bat on the infield, and Marte is the best offensive second baseman in MLB.

It was hard not to imagine just how lethal the Mariners' lineup would become if Marte became part of it. Him plus Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena? That's a wrecking crew, and Arozarena would be the only member not guaranteed to stick beyond 2026. Marte's contract with Arizona runs through 2030.

Alas, Arizona's ask always represented an insurmountable hurdle. They wanted controllable MLB pitching, and the Mariners have long been adamant about not wanting to subtract from their major league rotation. That's not a failure to communicate. That's a person with a mouth speaking to a person without ears.

The whole charade already seemed unofficially dead earlier this week. Now that the coffin is nailed shut and being lowered into the ground, the Mariners finally have a permission structure to focus on more realistic targets for the bat they still need.

Brendan Donovan is at the top of the list, even if his trade value just keeps getting more and more complicated. They could otherwise kick the tires on Nico Hoerner, and the possibility for a reunion with Eugenio Suárez seems to be more on the table with each passing day.

The Marte stuff was fun while it lasted. But in the end, it was nothing more than a fantasy.