Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Ketel Marte. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Ketel Marte signs $76 million extension with Arizona Diamondbacks

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Vincent Frank | Last updated 3/27/22

There have been reports over the past few days that Ketel Marte and the Diamondbacks have been discussing an extension, and it appears the two sides now have a deal in place.

According to multiple reports, Marte has agreed to a five-year, $76 million extension that includes $51 million in new money.

An All-Star back in 2019, Marte has been an important cog in the desert. In 2019, he hit .329 with 32 homers, 92 RBI and a .981 OPS.

While Marte has seen somewhat of a downtick in production when it comes to his power numbers, the Dominican Republic native continues to hit at a high level. Last season, he hit for a .318 average with a .377 OBP and .909 OPS.

However, he also played a mere 90 games due to injury. This comes after Marte missed 15 of a possible 60 games during the truncated 2020 season. Injury concerns may be the reason why he didn’t receive an even more lucrative extension.

Arizona is coming off an ugly 52-110 season. They lack true star power up and down the roster. While the D’Backs are not going to be playoff contenders this season, this move secures a core piece of the roster for the long-term.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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