The Met is willing to pay part of the cost Starling Matt’s The Athletic’s Tim Brittain and Will Salmon wrote that the contract was meant to facilitate the trade. There’s nothing to suggest a trade is imminent or certain, but the Mets may consider expanding the veteran outfielder.
After finalizing Juan Soto With the signing, New York has a great outfield. Soto and Brandon Nimmo Can play corner kicks. Tyrone Taylor Had a good first season with Queens and started in midfield. Mets gain defensive stalwart Jose Seeri Last month from the Rays. He’s a good fourth outfielder who could reduce Taylor’s playing time in center field.
The Mets don’t necessarily need to trade Marte. They’re willing to spend money to stock up on depth under Steve Cohen. However, he’s probably fifth on their outfield depth chart and isn’t getting great playing time. At 36, he is no longer an option in midfield.
The outfield of Marte, Nimmo and Soto will be limited defensively. The two-time All-Star has essentially been relegated to a rotational cornerback role. He could catch some at-bats at designated hitter, although the Mets may add a first baseman and may want to leave DH playing time to some combination Mark Ventos, Ronnie Mauricio and (if he is not traded) Brett Batty. Regardless, Marte doesn’t have the kind of power that teams typically want from their primary DH.
To find a receiver, the Mets would need to spend a fortune. Marte’s contract is for the final season of a four-year free-agent deal, with an annual salary of $19.5. If he were a free agent, he would probably make less than half that amount. He hit seven home runs in 370 games, below the league average of .269/.327/.388. Marte stole 16 bases in 17 attempts, although his defensive performance in right field plummeted. His once-elite speed is essentially average at this point. A bone contusion in his right knee cost him about seven weeks from June to August.
Marte may be stretched thin as a regular, but there are teams that could give him more opportunities than the Mets. Presumably, the Red Sox could be a good fit as they are looking for a right-hitting outfielder. The Defenders, Padres, Astros, Royals, Reds and Matt’s old team in Pittsburgh are other teams that could be in the market for corner outfield help.
