5 NY Mets free agents still without a job as spring training approaches

2) Starling Marte

It might be a little harder for Starling Marte to find a job only because he’s a right-handed hitting DH who can barely play the field these days. Opportunities exist on a minimal contract amount. Hypothetically, if the Mets did trade away Mark Vientos, he could fit back in Queens. His leadership was a big story for the 2025 Mets. Would they dare to re-sign him to make Juan Soto happy?

Marte returning to the Pittsburgh Pirates to be their DH kind of works expect they already have a chance to bring back fan-favorite and former MVP Andrew McCutchen for the exact role.

MLB free agency includes a whole lot of players like Marte who can’t really play stable defense any longer. The one advantage he has is the strong season against righty and lefty pitchers. Again, teams like the White Sox make some sense. If the Colorado Rockies threw money at him, would he take the paycheck knowing he’d have to hit for a couple of months before landing with a contender?

There does come a point when a player like Marte might just want to step away from the game. He’s 37 and playing time wherever he goes will be minimal. It’s a shame his speed has gone. That might have landed him a gig already.