The New York Mets may be liable to trade their star veteran outfielder Starling Marte this offseason.
Mets will financially appease Starling Marte’s trade suitors
MLB Trade Rumors’ Anthony Franco relayed a report from Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic which stated that the Mets are open to absorbing some of the money remaining on Marte’s contract if it helps them facilitate a trade.
Franco went on to contextualize Marte’s current outlook on the revamped Mets, saying:
“The Mets don’t necessarily need to trade Marte. They’re willing to pay to stockpile depth under Steve Cohen’s ownership. Yet he’s probably fifth on their outfield depth chart and doesn’t have a great path to playing time. He’s no longer an option in center field at age 36. The Mets probably wouldn’t move Nimmo back to center field to force Marte into the lineup,” Franco wrote.
The 36-year-old is approaching the final year of the four-year, $78 million deal he signed with New York in 2022, where he’ll be owed $20.75 million. Marte played well last season, but perhaps not up to the same $20.75 million he earned last season despite being a valued part of the Mets’ 2024 National League Championship Series run.
Marte is a sound two-way option for Mets to shop
Marte slashed a respectable .269/.327/.388 at the plate alongside a .715 OPS. The Dominican talent also scored 46 runs and batted in 40 across 94 games played. He was on pace for 79 runs and 69 RBIs on the previous campaign had he played all 162 games. The former two-time Gold Glove Award winner also led the National League with six assists out of right field with a .986 fielding percentage.
Now that New York has superstar outfielder Juan Soto in town and a bevy of stout defenders they can deploy alongside him, Marte may be expendable. Mets owner Steve Cohen already broke the bank by signing Soto to a record-setting $765 million deal in free agency. Money may not mean a thing for him and the franchise as they look to forge a true World Series-caliber roster this fall and next winter.
