It's been an emotional offseason for Arizona Diamondbacks fans, who spent the winter wondering if Ketel Marte would still be wearing Sedona red come Opening Day. Fortunately for the faithful, the front office held onto the veteran infielder—at least for now. But with the trade deadline looming, that decision could shift if the standings don't improve.

The D-backs doubled down on their infield by adding star third baseman Nolan Arenado, and they've stumbled to a 17-17 start. That record, however, could be much stronger if their middle infield duo was firing on all cylinders.

Marte and Geraldo Perdomo were a powerhouse combination last season, combining for 48 home runs and a .283/.383/.487 slash line. Perdomo enjoyed a breakout year, hitting .290 with a career-high 20 homers, while Marte continued to anchor the lineup. This season, though, the pair has been sluggish, posting a .232/.313/.388 combined line with just seven home runs. As a result, Arizona's offense has dropped from sixth in runs scored last year to 13th in 2026.

ESPN's Bradford Doolittle put it bluntly: "Last year's Diamondbacks featured a high-throttle offense... A big reason for that was the elite production from Arizona's middle infield combo. So far this season, both are off to slow starts. Ildemaro Vargas can't do it all."

And he's right. Vargas has been carrying the offensive load, leading the team in batting average, home runs, RBIs, OBP, and hits. But for Arizona to truly contend, Marte and Perdomo need to rediscover their groove. If they do, this lineup could quickly return to being one of the most dangerous in the National League.