New York Mets rumors: Starling Marte, Pete Alonso and more!

New York Mets interested in trading for Starling Marte.
Sep 9, 2019; San Francisco, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Starling Marte (6) runs towards home against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Starling Marte’s name is buzzing again at the New York Mets’ rumor mill. Per Robert Murray, the Pittsburgh Pirates are once again listening. No deal is imminent, however.

MLB ranked the top first basemen in the league and Pete Alonso checked in at third place.

Here are the New York Mets’ news and rumors of the day:

Robert Murray: The New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates re-opened Starling Marte talks over the weekend. The two clubs have chatted intermittently about the center-fielder throughout the offseason and don’t seem to agree on what would be a fair compensation.

Per former The Athletic sportswriter Robert Murray, the talks are currently taking place but no deal is imminent. We lived this scenario before over the winter. The Mets want to upgrade in center field and continue to explore possibilities.

Marte, 31, had a .295 batting average with 97 runs, 23 homers, 82 RBI, 25 steals and a .845 OPS with the Pirates in 2019.

MLB Network: Pete Alonso, the reigning Rookie of the Year in the National League, keeps getting recognitions for his immense talent. The latest one in his short but already influential career came from MLB Network.

They reviewed the best first basemen in MLB and Alonso ranked third in the exercise. Only the Atlanta Braves’ Freddie Freeman and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy had a higher rank than the Mets’ star.

Anthony Rizzo, Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Olson, Luke Voit, Carlos Santana, Josh Bell and Edwin Encarnación completed the top 10.

MLB.com: Edwin Diaz, one of the most talented relief pitchers of his generation and closer for the New York Mets, played a prominent role in helping the victims of the January 7 earthquake in his native island.

Diaz gathered his family and friends to form a 40-people group and drive to Peñuelas. There, the damage was evident. “When we first got there, it was really impactful. It’s good to be able to use your resources and be able to help other people, because it’s definitely a sad time. It feels good to see people put a smile on their face when they see you,” he said.

Diaz’ crew wore “Team Sugar”jerseys and handed out water, food and supplies to those in need. “I don’t feel a responsibility [to help] — it’s something that comes from the heart,” Díaz said.