Terry Francona's comments should all but end Ketel Marte trade dreams for the Reds

After striking out on Kyle Schwarber, the Cincinnati Reds reportedly turned their attention to Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte. An All-Star in 2025, Marte would certainly bolster the Reds' lineup heading into the 2026 season. Cincinnati's lack of power was a major flaw last season, and Marte's career .823 OPS would look quite nice in the middle of the Reds' lineup on Opening Day.

But Marte comes with some baggage. The D-backs second baseman received a lot of criticism last season after leaving his teammates high and dry following the All-Star break. Marte missed the first three games after the Midsummer Classic, and though he eventually revealed that his absence was due to a personal matter, his sabbatical caused some tension in the Diamondbacks clubhouse.

Marte played in just 126 games last season; his lowest since 2021 when he dealt with a reoccurring hamstring injury. He received a fair amount of criticism from his teammates — some of whom were playing through injuries. It was reported that Marte had frequently asked for days off, including during the final week of the 2024 season.

Terry Francona's comments should torpedo any trade talks the Reds are having with the D-backs about Ketel Marte

All of this drama flies in the face of Terry Francona's recent comments during an appearance on MLB Network Radio. During an interview at the MLB Winter Meetings last week, Francona spoke about the players' attitudes once the team arrived in Goodyear last spring.

"I loved our team," Francona said. "Now we weren't the finished product and we never said we were. But, you know how that first meeting in spring training, when everybody says, 'Hey, here's what we're going to try to live by.' Everybody says the same thing. You know, hustle, be on time. We didn't have somebody be late the entire year. That's never happened in my life."

Francona's words should echo through the Reds front office and offer a scathing rebuke to the notion of trading for Marte. While he may be a talented player, based on Francona's interview, it doesn't sound like he'd be a good fit in the Reds clubhouse. That matters.

It's already surprising that the D-backs are looking to trade Marte one year after signing him to an extension. What do they know that nobody else does? Arizona's urgency to deal their superstar before he acquires 10-5 rights once the 2026 season gets underway is another red flag. Marte's bat would undoubtedly help the Reds lineup, but his attitude doesn't fit the clubhouse.