MLB insider hints at an important part of Mariners' ongoing Ketel Marte pursuit

The Mariners’ Ketel Marte obsession keeps resurfacing like a song you swore you were done listening to — and Ken Rosenthal’s note is a reminder that Seattle still hasn’t hit “skip.”

In his look at Arizona’s winter dominoes, Rosenthal again connected the Mariners to Marte and, more importantly, suggested why the pursuit hasn’t cooled: Jerry Dipoto’s continued interest “indicates that he is not deterred by the 11-year veteran’s clubhouse issues with the D-backs last season.” 

That one line is doing a lot of work. The on-field fit has always been obvious. Marte is the kind of switch-hitting, impact-at-second-base presence the Mariners have chased in different forms for years — the “make the lineup scarier” archetype that changes how opponents pitch you in October. The real question lately has been whether the off-field noise would scare Seattle away.

Mariners’ front office seems confident enough to bet on Ketel Marte

Arizona's summer reporting was a bit messy. An article from Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic stated that some of Marte's teammates felt that he was "unavailable" for games and had made many "day off" requests since there was a burglary at his home and after the All-Star game. Marte then reportedly apologized and said that he was "frustrated" and "in a bad spot," as a result of the burglary, and acknowledged to ESPN that the issue lingered in the clubhouse.

If you’re the Mariners, you have to consider that context. This is an organization that’s been loud about building a strong room — a team that seems to like each other, compete for each other, and avoid the “too many alphas, not enough glue” problem. That culture is one of the few things Seattle fans don’t have to squint to find.

But here’s the twist: a strong clubhouse can create a different kind of confidence. Rosenthal’s read doesn’t mention that the Mariners are ignoring character concerns, but it’s a tell that they’re betting their environment can handle them. And if Dipoto believes his core is stable, it makes sense that he’d be willing to take on a little volatility for a player who would instantly raise the lineup’s ceiling.

There’s also the “unfinished business” element. Dipoto was the GM when Seattle traded Marte (and Taijuan Walker) to Arizona back in 2016.  Marte turning into an All-Star elsewhere has lived in the Mariners’ trade-regret hall of fame. A reunion now, while he’s still a star, would be a full-circle moment: for Dipoto, for Marte, and for a fanbase that’s spent years asking for a legitimate infield difference-maker.

So the headline isn’t “Marte to Seattle is imminent.” It’s subtler and maybe more telling: the Mariners don’t sound like a team that’s afraid of the baggage, because they think their culture is strong enough to keep the focus on the bat.