Ketel Marte drama is a reminder of Reds' ongoing (but different) roster headache

Less than a year ago, there were trade rumors linking the Cincinnati Reds to Arizona Diamondbacks' All-Star Ketel Marte. In light of all the drama surrounding the D-backs and their second baseman, Reds fans should be thankful that such a transaction never took place this past offseason.

For those who are unaware, Marte went AWOL for the D-backs series opener at Fenway Park on August 17. Arizona placed him on the restricted list and later the injured list. The tension only increased after Marte was spotted (while on the IL) at an Arizona casino while his teammates were playing a game.

This isn't the first time that controversy has haunted Marte's steps. He famously left his teammates high and dry after the All-Star break last season, and has continually been an off-the-field distraction.

Is there little wonder why the Diamondbacks tried to trade Marte this past winter? As the offseason continued to unfold, Arizona made several attempts to move the two-time Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winner but to no avail. He now has 10-5 rights, and therefore has the power to veto any trade.

The D-backs essentially have an All-Star caliber player they'd love to offload, but because of his questionable character issues, they're never going to receive true market value for his talents. The Reds have a similar, but different situation with Hunter Greene.

The Reds have their own version of Ketel Marte with Hunter Greene

To be clear, Greene has no history of off-the-field controversy. By all accounts, the Reds coaching staff and Greene's teammates have nothing negative to say about him. Nevertheless, there's been some tension over the years between Greene some members of the Reds' media — which has led to questions about a disconnect between the right-hander and some of the team's top executives.

Though some of the Cincinnati faithful might disagree, there's little doubt that the Reds would love to trade Greene. In fact, they tried to do just before the the August 3 deadline passed. His injury history, however, makes that a tough sell. The fireballer is currently on the 60-day IL after undergoing elbow surgery last month, and is likely to miss the entire 2027 season.

I made the argument recently that the Reds should look to trade Greene this coming offseason, regardless of the return. Given his prognosis for 2027, there's no way Cincinnati is going to get top value for the right-hander, but simply being able to clear his $15.3 million salary from their ledger would be a huge step in the right direction.

Moving a player when his trade value is at its lowest — something the Reds would be doing with Greene and the D-backs with Marte — is a tough sell for most front office personnel. It's a poor reflection of their roster management, though anyone who's followed the Reds for any length of time already knows of Nick Krall's shortcomings.

The Reds can exhale knowing that the Diamondbacks are dealing with a situation that could've easily become theirs, but Cincinnati is clearly staring down a similar (albeit different) situation with Greene.

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