"Ketel Marte is baseball's version of Kawhi Leonard" - MLB insider makes intriguing comparison between Diamondbacks All-Star and Clippers superstar

Ketel Marte has been in hot water recently after multiple reports emerged that his Arizona Diamondbacks teammates have been critical of him for missing games. Marte even apologized to his teammates and fans while talking to reporters on Monday.

In this scenario, MLB insider Chris Rose saw a unique parallel between the Diamondbacks All-Star and Kawhi Leonard, the forward of the Los Angeles Clippers.

For Rose, Marte's pattern of missing games resembles Leonard's well-known load management approach in the NBA. He shared his thoughts on Tuesday's episode of "Baseball Today."

"He is like baseball's version of Kawhi Leonard," Rose said (Timestamp 25:08).

"And, for people that aren't NBA fans, he, of course, is the superstar for the Clippers who plays about 50 regular-season games a year out of 82. He just, he is on some sort of load management, and it feels like Ketel Marte is on that."

Rose detailed Marte's recurring absences and the nature of his injuries, contrasting them with more conventional setbacks.

"He's missed 33 games this year," Rose said. "He's had a ton of soft tissue injuries over the years. I'm not talking about getting hit by a pitch and breaking a bone. I'm talking about things that he misses games here and there. And he says this is fully planned out with the authorization of the organization. So, maybe, this is a bigger issue."

Despite the controversy, Ketel Marte is often considered the best second baseman in the MLB right now. The 31-year-old switch-hitter has already hit 23 homers and has a .295 batting average.

MLB insider praises Ketel Marte's teammate's bold stance

When reports emerged of Diamondbacks players' alleged dissatisfaction with Ketel Marte, it was Geraldo Perdomo who first came to his defense. The 25-year-old shortstop's decision seemed to earn MLB insider Chris Rose's respect as he spoke highly of him on "Baseball Today."

"Can we give some credit to Perdomo?" Rose said (Timestamp 27:00). "The other day, when he went and stepped in front of the microphone at 25 years old and said, you know, 'I don't, I hate this BS that we're reading about. That is not who he is. He's a guy who just wants to win.' Like, I thought that was very, very impressive."

Rose pointed out that Perdomo had already impressed him long ago. He even claimed that Perdomo's kind act for Marte is reason enough to justify his $45 million contract, which he signed in February.

Notably, Perdomo is batting .287 this season with 13 home runs and 21 stolen bases. Although he was not selected as an All-Star this year, his current production surpasses his 2022 numbers that earned him a selection.