Mets Monday Morning GM: 3 smaller roster decisions paying off early

3) Not dumping any bad contracts in the offseason

The Mets had two bad contracts fans were eager to dump this offseason. They held onto each and for good reason.

First, we have the two years and over $40 million owed to Starling Marte. The Mets right fielder had an incredibly disappointing 2023 campaign. Only 13 extra-base hits in his 86 games, he was a shell of the player he was a year earlier when he was an All-Star for the club.

Less costly yet a far worse player, the Mets were stuck with another year of Omar Narvaez. It was a no-brainer for the veteran backstop to opt into his $7 million for 2024. He missed a large portion of the 2023 season and when he did return his starting job had been usurped by Francisco Alvarez.

Whether out of belief in a bounce back season or a lack of interest from other ball clubs—probably both—the pair remained in New York. We’re already seeing the benefits of it.

Marte has gotten off to a strong start and looks much more like the 2022 version. His multiple injuries from last year surely seem to be the cause. There wasn’t so much as a hint of the Mets moving on from him over the offseason. How could they? His hefty contract and poor results in 2023 had him in the doghouse.

Narvaez’s return has been far less special, but with Alvarez already going onto the IL, we can justify having him around. The upside of what he can do on offense is far greater than any of the other options. His defense has been atrocious. Still, as something more than an automatic out, the Mets can at least choose to have a capable big league hitter in the lineup should they choose. Otherwise, we’d be staring at a situation with Tomas Nido and someone like Austin Allen sharing catching duties for weeks.