The San Diego Padres have been named as a potential landing spot for Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte in a new article by Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report.
A report by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic recently revealed why the Diamondbacks could move on from the All-Star second baseman in the offseason. His teammates—and others in the organization—have grown tired of his tendency to ask for days off.
While Piecoro notes it is still unlikely Arizona will trade its superstar, there is a chance the Padres acquire Marte this winter.
Marte in San Diego
The Padres already have an abundance of offensive weapons, but they could use some extra power. San Diego’s 110 home runs this season rank 29th in MLB, ahead of only the Pittsburgh Pirates.
That’s where Marte, who’s hit 23 homers this year, comes in. And Rymer writes that he would also provide an offensive boost at the second base position.
“The Padres also have offensive shortcomings at second base, specifically with regard to the six home runs the position has produced all year,” he writes. “They’re also an NL West rival, though, and their farm system doesn’t go nearly as deep as the Dodgers’.”
That last point is why there are other teams more likely to land Marte, according to Rymer. His top five trade destinations, from low to high, are the Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers and New York Mets, who take the number 1 spot.
San Diego is grouped in the honorable mention category, which also includes the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.
But perhaps the most likely scenario is for Marte to stay in Arizona. The organization may not be happy with him, but superstars aren’t easy to come by—especially for small-market teams.
