2 Mets Opening Day DH candidates already on the roster, 3 they could sign in free agency

2) DH already on the roster: Starling Marte

Starling Marte won a Gold Glove back in the day with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Today, he’s much less of a reliable outfielder for the Mets. He calls right field home which is a bit strange because when the Mets first signed him ahead of the 2022 season there was plenty of discussion about him playing center field over Brandon Nimmo. Those were good times.

Marte’s defensive decline has mirrored his health. He finished the season with a -8 Outs Above Average, a statistic which has become a must to view to measure every defensive player. His range is fading quickly. Despite still having good speed on the bases, he looks lost as an outfielder far too often.

Marte remains a player many Mets fans would like to see the team dump. It’s just not realistic. He’s an overpaid singles hitter they’ll try to milk one final season out of. For sure an unsatisfying selection to be the primary DH for the Mets in 2025, it does at least save the Mets from having to run him out into right field.

Could less time on his feet actually help Marte stay healthy and produce more at the plate? We can already scratch him from a couple of games in 2025. The Mets handled him carefully when they could this past season with playing time. With an open DH spot, they’ll have another way to utilize him in the final year of his contract.