Padres can breathe sigh of relief with potential division rival star’s departure

The Padres may not be the only team to undergo a variety of changes, as an NL West rival may see its star player on the opposite coast, repping new threads ahead of the 2026 season.

Dan Bartels of The New York Post released a tweet suggesting that the New York Mets are looking to make a blockbuster move to acquire what many believe is the league's best second baseman, Ketel Marte.

“An interesting offseason name for the Mets that may gain steam is Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte. Reports are Arizona will listen to offers on his 6Y/$92 million remaining contract. Has frustrated teammates this year due to taking time off. Mets could trade Jeff McNeil to open a spot,” Bartels wrote on Wednesday.

Marte was on the receiving end of public scrutiny back in August after rumors began to percolate that he and his teammates were experiencing tension, which reporters ran with — specifically Bob Nightengale of USA Today, who wrote the following…

“The worst kept secret in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization is out: they will listen to offers on All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte this winter, knowing that Marte is extremely talented, he can be a diva in the clubhouse, agitating his teammates and coaching staff.”

Teammates of Marte came to his defense, shooting down the rumors of bad blood in the clubhouse. Still, it’s something to take with a grain of salt, as these reports have persisted over the course of the second half of the season — and when there’s smoke, there's fire.

In 2025, Marte slashed .283/.376/.517 with a 145 wRC+, while hitting 28 home runs. If he is moved this offseason, whichever team acquires him will be blessed with his ability to hit for both contact and power.

A known Padre killer, Marte has a career .838 OPS against San Diego over the course of 112 games, so it's safe to say they won’t be upset to see him depart the NL West. One of the biggest stories out of MLB over the past two months, and it’s likely we’ll learn more as we head into the winter meetings.