As the Diamondbacks are navigating their way, like all 29 other MLB teams through this off-season lockout, there are decisions they can make that are not affected by the lockout. One of the first and most vital decisions that must be made is what position superstar Ketel Marte is going to play. Now, the Diamondbacks believe in versatility, possibly to a fault (we will discuss that in an upcoming article). It will help Marte both physically and mentally to know where on the field he is playing, and that it is written in pen. With the understanding of course that it may be crossed out due to injury or other unforeseen event.
What are Ketel Marte's position choices?
In his seven years in the league Marte has played all three outfield positions, short-stop and second base. He has, however, played the overwhelming bulk of his career at three positions; short stop, second base and center field, so we will concentrate on those. His bat is vital to have in the line-up. For his career, according to Baseball-Reference Ketel has an 18 WAR, a .287 batting average, 346 OBP, slugging 456 with a .802 OPS and a 112 OPS+. Just imagine for a moment that his defense becomes second nature by playing one position. Then, he can concentrate more on his offence. Not that it needs to improve, but what if he gave you great defense and was able to hit .300?