The New York Mets have been one of the most active teams in MLB during the offseason. Of course, bringing in Juan Soto has been their masterpiece, but they have also added Jose Siri, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, and a number of minor-league fliers.
Has Starling Marte become expendable for the Mets?
The presence of Soto and Siri in the outfield, together with Brandon Nimmo and Tyrone Taylor, have made veteran outfielder Starling Marte somewhat expendable. The Mets, of course, likely won’t give him away, but they will be open to listening to offers for him:
“Sources: Mets are open to trading OF Starling Marte for relief help and have been talking to teams about potential deals,” Pat Ragazzo of SI.com posted on X.
This could also be about freeing the designated hitter spot for Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso (if he returns), or even Soto on occasion. The Mets entered the offseason with many question marks on the pitching side, particularly in the rotation. While the organization has already allocated important resources to starters, they still need relievers considering that Holmes will be deployed as a member of the rotation.
The Mets might need to eat some of Marte’s salary
Marte is a two-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove award winner. He is, however, already 36 and his best years are behind him. If the Mets are willing to cover a part of his $20.75 million salary, they could be able to fetch a solid reliever for Marte.
The outfielder posted a 104 wRC+ this past season with the Mets, basically a league-average offensive performance. He also homered seven times, stole 16 bases, and hit .269 in 94 games. But he is no longer a defensive asset and remains injury-prone, which is why New York would probably have to eat some money to make something happen. Marte is entering his contract year and will test the free-agent market after the 2025 campaign.
