
It is no secret that Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting center fielder Starling Marte wants to be traded before the 2020 season. He recently said that he wants to play for a contender. Additionally, he also stated that he would be honored to play with the New York Mets.
The Mets proceeded to trade a couple of prospects for Jake Marisnick, a competent defensive center fielder. However, he is rather weak with the bat against righties, and his presence shouldn’t stop the team from pursuing Marte.
According to Jon Heyman, the Mets haven’t completely ruled out the acquisition of Marte, who is 31 years old.
Marisnick is only expected to make around $3 million via salary arbitration, and he is eligible to be traded at any time.
The New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates will talk at the Meetings
The Mets and the Pirates have several more days to sit down and talk about a potential deal involving the star center fielder. Heyman says that the teams will talk about the subject during the Winter Meetings.
Marte is Pittsburgh’s most valuable trading chip, and he is affordable, too. He will make $11.5 in 2020 with a 2021 club option for $12.5 million.
The Dominican had a bright 2019 at the dish, with a .295/.342/.503 slash line, 23 home runs, 25 steals, 97 runs, and 82 RBI. He accumulated 3.0 fWAR.
A spark for the lineup
While it’s true that the Mets could play Marisnich in center against lefties, and that other outfielders in the roster can play the position adequately, Marte would provide a spark near the top of the lineup.
His defensive play was weak in 2019 when he registered a -8.3 UZR/150 and -9 DRS in 1141.1 frames in center field. He was decent in 2018, however, with a 4.4 UZR/150 and +1 DRS. He is a two-time Gold Glove award winner in left.
The New York Mets may have competition, as other teams may be interested in trading for the All-Star outfielder. The Arizona Diamondbacks, for example, are shaping up as potential suitors.