The NL East appears to be wide open at the start of the second half for everyone except perhaps the Miami Marlins. While Don Mattingly's squad is just 9.5 games back of the Mets in the division, they would have to leapfrog every team to get to the top.

Helping lead the charge for the Marlins this year has been Starling Marte. While it's been noted that Marte would prefer to sign an extension with Miami, it seems as though the two sides won't be able to come to an agreement.

Now, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, it's likely Marte is dealt by the Marlins before the MLB Trade Deadline.

According to numerous reports on Sunday, Marte rejected the Marlins’ offer of a three-year, $30 million extension, making it likely he will be traded.

Why won’t the Marlins make Marte a better offer?

Sure, Marte turns 33 on Oct. 9, but he continues to perform at a high level, batting .284 with an .828 OPS, playing an above-average center field and ranking in the top 15 percent in sprint speed, with 19 stolen bases in 22 attempts.

Marte wanted to stay in Miami, but he’ll end up doing just what he did for the Marlins last season, helping his next team make a postseason push.

This shouldn't be a surprise as the Marlins are often wheeling and dealing any top talent they get before they are set to cash in on a decent payday. Marte will likely become just the latest for that to happen to in Miami.

With the Marlins appearing to be in seller mode, it would be more than shocking to see Marte in Miami past the deadline.