3 bad Mets contracts the team should eat to get a better return in a trade

Contract the Mets should eat #2: Starling Marte

Starling Marte has struggled mightily this year. He’s hitting .254/.308/.332/.640 with just five homers, seven doubles, 28 RBI, and 38 runs scored. His OPS+ is just 80 (20% below average).

At 34 years old, his age-related decline is in full swing. His sprint speed has been dropping slowly for four years, but it’s most significant drop has been this year.  His bat speed is down as well.

The one thing he’s still really good at is stealing bases. He’s got 24 this year, which is already more than all of last year (18), and he’s only been caught four times.

Similar to Carrasco, his veteran presence should be welcome in the clubhouse of a young team. His speed matches the playing style of a team like the Reds or Diamondbacks, so I wonder if they would be interested in bringing in a veteran who can polish the youngsters.

This would be a significant contract for the Mets to buy out. He’s on the books for $19.5 million next year and 2025, plus about $7 million left this year. Both teams have pretty good farm systems, so it could be worth it if they get a talented prospect back.