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Mets Monday Morning GM: How does the Starling Marte tenure end?

Will Starling Marte make the full four years of his contract with the Mets?

By Tim Boyle |
New York Mets v Washington Nationals
New York Mets v Washington Nationals / Jess Rapfogel/GettyImages
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A lack of effort is the one quality no fan will tolerate. With two outs in the top of the fourth on Saturday, New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte defied the odds by allowing a flyball with a 95% catch probability to fall in front of him. The Philadelphia Phillies scored a run and the wheels came off immediately after for starting pitcher Sean Manaea. It was, without a doubt, the turning point of the game and the defining moment of game one in London.

Were the conditions to blame? Difficult visibility is what Marte and others referenced after the game.

On the other hand, this is nothing new. As Anthony DiComo noted, Marte has been among the worst fielders at any position this year when it comes to Outs Above Average.

Marte is a Mets player many were ready to send packing in the offseason. An unimpressive 2023 season filled with injuries, he lost a lot of the good faith he earned with his impressive 2022 season when he was an All-Star for the team. In the third season of his four-year contract, the Mets need to start thinking about what’s next.

Option One: Will the Mets trade Starling Marte this summer?

If the Mets find a taker, they need to send him somewhere else. He simply isn’t a reliable enough everyday player as a hitter or position player. A salary of over $20 million for next year makes him a burden on the payroll even with Steve Cohen’s pockets running deep.

Trading him for notable prospects while picking up his salary probably won’t happen. The Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander deals from last summer seem more one-of-a-kind than a newfound trend. What’s more, those two were far more important to what their new teams could achieve. Starting pitchers are far more valuable than any position player, particularly one who doesn’t play a position all that well and is a bit more mysterious at the plate.

To answer the question, “no.” It would be a shock to see someone think of Marte as anything more than a DH.

Option Two: What do the Mets do with Starling Marte in the offseason?

Assuming he stays and no one is foolish enough to take on Marte in any capacity, the Mets will need to consider swapping him for another bad contract or designate him for assignment. The latter seems a bit extreme given the fact he isn’t a zero on offense. Marte can still hit in doses. His outfield range has diminished and yet he can swipe bags at a high level.

The Mets can’t keep trading away guys while eating the salary. That’s no way to behave especially when, as we saw this winter, it got in the way of making some moves. We’re fortunate J.D. Martinez’s asking price took a nosedive. Although, if it hadn’t, there’d be an obvious opening for Marte as a more regular DH option.

This alternative timeline wouldn’t satisfy. The issue is how many years Billy Eppler signed him to and how each season the 162 game schedule pounds him harder.

There is no fully satisfying ending for Marte in the offseason because of the money tied to him. Not a peep of a rumored trade made its way publicly over this last winter. In which case, if they’re stuck with him, what role can he have?

Option Three: Moving Starling Marte to the bench isn’t an optimal solution

Marte has hit extremely well against left-handed pitchers this season. He’s now batting .321/.397/.482 against them with a home run and 4 doubles in 63 plate appearances. But Marte isn’t making platoon player money let alone being the right-handed half of one which means less playing time altogether.

With expectations of Drew Gilbert entering the majors next season, a platoon situation seems palpable. Gilbert swings from the left side and we’d have to expect some struggles against left-handed pitching. However, his splits were strong versus southpaws last season, slashing .306/.381/.506 against them in 98 plate appearances. Major league lefties will be far tougher to master.

Marte to the bench goes against the kind of team David Stearns tried to build this year. Good defensive players are what he intended behind the starters—at least those he got to choose. Tyrone Taylor is a far more perfect bench player with his defensive gifts. Marte, on the other hand, really only seems to offer some good speed as a pinch runner. This is something the Mets can get for far cheaper and from a guy who can play defense well.

Handing Marte the DH spot isn’t satisfying either. At all turns, Marte just doesn’t seem to match what the Mets need or what they should plan. Call it a gut feeling, but it feels like we’re going to have to root for him at least for a few months into 2025.

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