Report: Padres enter sweepstakes for Pirates' Marte
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte has been a popular name in trade rumors this offseason and on Wednesday, another team entered the mix for his services.
The San Diego Padres are getting into the sweepstakes for the two-time Gold Glove winner, reports MLB Network's Jon Heyman.
Sources confirmed San Diego's interest in Marte to Scott Miller of Bleacher Report, who adds that the club is "all over the map" in trade talks and is also looking to deal outfielder Wil Myers and catcher Austin Hedges.
The Padres also recently met with representatives for Korean left-hander Kwang-Hyun Kim, according to Miller.
San Diego has been one of baseball's busiest teams this winter. The squad has already acquired Tommy Pham, Jurickson Profar, Zach Davies, and Trent Grisham in trades, and signed pitcher Drew Pomeranz to a four-year deal.
Acquiring Marte would give the Padres a more productive option in center field than either of Myers, Franchy Cordero or Manuel Margot, as they try to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the National League West standings.
The 31-year-old Marte had a career year at the plate for Pittsburgh in 2019. In 132 games, he batted .295/.342/.503 with 23 home runs, 31 doubles and 82 RBIs along with 25 steals in 31 attempts.
Marte is on a team-friendly contract that pays him $11.5 million in 2020 and also includes a $12.5-million club option ($1-million buyout) for 2021.
The Pirates outfielder has already drawn reported trade interest from the New York Mets this offseason.