The Diamondbacks went into the past offseason looking to solve their center field problem. In 2019, the team ham-and-egged the position with a combination of Ketel Marte and others. Marte had a strong season at the plate and looked competent in the outfield, but saw his season end two weeks early due to a stress reaction in his back. With that in mind, the team was looking for someone to ease the burden on their young superstar.
The opportunity came about when the Pittsburgh Pirates, who completely revamped their front office and on-field leadership, put Starling Marte on the trade block.