Latest Diamondbacks rumor makes Ketel Marte trade buzz less funny for Padres fans

For about a couple weeks, San Diego Padres fans could enjoy the fun version of a Diamondbacks rumor: the one where Arizona ships Ketel Marte out of the NL West and everyone in San Diego collectively pretends the division just got a little less annoying.

Then the second part of the rumor showed up and ruined the vibes.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the Diamondbacks are one of the teams that has shown interest in Alex Bregman — a nugget that got amplified quickly because Arizona has a very real hole at third base right now.  And while the D-backs spending at the top of the market still feels like a long shot on paper, “long shot” and “NL West reality” don’t always match up.

Diamondbacks’ Bregman buzz makes the Ketel Marte dream feel dangerous for Padres fans

Here’s the part that turns the Marte trade buzz from “lol, please do it” to “wait, don’t you dare”: the chatter isn’t just Marte leaving. It’s Marte leaving and Arizona immediately replacing the production with Bregman, especially after moving on from Eugenio Suárez and opening up that corner infield spot. If the D-backs create payroll flexibility by dealing Marte, the Bregman idea stops being a fantasy and starts looking like a very annoying blueprint. 

And before anyone does the “Bregman is washed” thing: no, he’s not 2018-19 peak Bregman anymore, but he’s still the type of hitter who makes your pitching staff work for every single out. In 2025, he hit .273/.360/.462 with 18 homers and 62 RBI in 114 games. Statcast also had him at a 44.4 percent hard-hit rate, which is not exactly “this guy’s done” territory. The plate skills are still there — his strikeout rate stayed modest, he still walked at a healthy clip, and his overall offensive profile remained comfortably above-average. 

From a Padres perspective, this is why Marte trade jokes don’t land the same anymore. The Padres aren’t competing against the version of Arizona that’s “taking a step back.” They’re competing against the version that can pivot instantly: subtract a star, reshuffle the infield, and still roll out a solid lineup.

If Marte actually gets moved, Padres fans will still celebrate a little. But if it’s followed by Arizona dropping Bregman into Chase Field? That celebration is going to come with a suspicious squint and the immediate realization that the division didn’t get any easier.