Now that the New York Mets will be without star outfielder Starling Marte for what could be a lengthy period of time due to a bone bruise in his right knee, the franchise may want to explore bringing back one of their former players on a rental to spell for him.
As MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo shared on X on July 14, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the team is “not sure” when Marte will take the field again (h/t Tim Boyle of Rising Apple).
Mets could floor the gas on recent winning by trading for Starling Marte fill-in
Marte last played on June 22 in the Mets’ 8-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Since then, the Mets have gone 13-7 and have re-entered playoff contention. Though they’ve found success once again this year, they still miss the Dominican two-time All-Star at the plate and out of right field.
Kevin Pillar could be a competent replacement for Marte at the plate
Thus, Tim Boyle of Rising Apple pinpointed Los Angeles Angels OF Kevin Pillar and Chicago White Sox OF Tommy Pham as two options for New York to consider in Marte’s stead ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline. Boyle had this to say about what Pillar could uniquely bring to the Mets’ batting order:
“Exclusively against left-handed pitchers, Pillar owns a ridiculous .359/.406/.625 slash line. He has homered 3 times in 69 chances and has another 6 doubles. It’s twice as many as he has against right-handed pitchers,” Boyle said.
The Mets need to approximate Marte’s .278 batting average and .745 OPS. Pillar would give the Mets the most at the plate between him and Pham. The 35-year-old is currently batting .288 with an impressive .822 OPS. Being able to exploit left-handed pitchers could be a valuable weapon for Mendoza to utilize situationally.
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Mets could target a reunion with Tommy Pham
On the other side of the token, Pham would give New York a powerful arm out of right and center field. His 88.2 mph arm strength ranks in the 77th percentile in the Major Leagues. Further, the Nevada native’s .992 fielding percentage would be a great replenishment for Marte’s .982 fielding percentage which is no longer in the equation.
Pham is also hitting a respectable .264 at the plate on the campaign. He knows the Mets system after playing for the franchise in 2023 and could seamlessly transition back into the fold should Mets president David Stearns take a look at him before July 30 arrives.
