Mets Veteran Named as Potential ‘Top Trade’ Candidate
The New York Mets may still be considering trading their veteran outfielder, Starling Marte. It’s well-known that the Mets actively sought to trade Marte during the offseason in an effort to unload his contract and free up cap space for other acquisitions.
In a February 9 article, Pat Ragazzo from Mets on SI reported that the Mets explored trading the right-handed hitting DH/outfielder during the winter meetings in December. They discussed a possible deal with the Kansas City Royals that would have sent Marte in exchange for right-handed relief pitcher Hunter Harvey, though the deal never materialized. The Mets were also prepared to cover part of Marte’s salary.
Rival Execs I've spoken with suggest the Mets Should Trade Starling Marte to the Padres for lefty reliever Wandy Peralta or package him in a bigger deal for Peralta/Cease
Read more:https://t.co/tXrOSSdObC
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) February 9, 2025
While that trade didn’t happen and Marte is still with the Mets, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of him being moved later in the season. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller highlighted Marte in an April 4 article titled “The 10 Best MLB Trade Chips for the 2025 Season.”
“After the Mets signed Juan Soto to a massive deal, Marte, with his $20.75M salary and his age of 36, became nearly unnecessary on a roster already holding six outfielders,” Miller wrote. “In fact, his salary feels more like $43.575M to the Mets.”
Miller further explained that the Mets are paying a hefty luxury tax, having exceeded the $301M threshold for a third consecutive year. With a projected $27.4M over the luxury tax, trading Marte could save the Mets a significant amount of money.
However, Marte’s value is limited due to his performance over the past two seasons, contributing just 0.3 fWAR and 0.0 bWAR. Despite this, Miller suggested that a team might eventually take a chance on him, especially if they’re in need of a right fielder or DH, or if they face injuries. Even if the Mets have to cover most of his contract, any portion of the deal that another team takes on would save them money in the long run.
It remains to be seen if Marte will be traded this season, but his future with the Mets is still uncertain.
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