Starling Marte is still with the New York Mets as spring training begins, but that was not necessarily the plan throughout the winter.
The veteran right-fielder revealed on Sunday that president of baseball operations David Stearns made it known throughout the offseason that they wanted to trade him, especially after the signing of Juan Soto, but to no avail.
“They spoke to me before the signing, and after the signing [of Soto], they reiterated that they’d try to move me,” Marte said through a translator on Sunday. “At the end of the day, they were very clear and very honest with me upfront. They obviously want the best for this team but also for my future. They were really helpful and really transparent about the situation.”
Soto’s arrival knocked Marte from his role as the team’s starting right-fielder, and opportunities for regular at-bats will now be slim for the 36-year-old, who has one year and $20.75 million left on his contract before hitting free agency.
Getting that money off the books would help with the Mets’ ledger, as they currently carry an estimated payroll of $331 million into the 2025 season, per Fangraphs. That is $90 million over Major League Baseball’s competitive balance tax threshold, which exceeds the third and final limit ($60 million or more), which provides a 60% surcharge. Because the Mets have exceeded the CBT for three or more years, an additional 50% tax is administered, meaning the organization would pay 110% on every dollar spent once again.
Considering Marte has had injury issues for the last three seasons, the Mets would have to eat a portion of that $20.75 million salary.
But now that he is still with the club at spring training, manager Carlos Mendoza is forced to find a different role for the veteran righty bat. He will serve as a backup to Soto when the superstar needs a day off and should platoon with lefty Jesse Winker for designated hitter at-bats.
Marte, who has made it known that he wants to stay with the Mets, also offered to take reps in both center and left field during spring training.
“He’s at the point in his career where he wants to win,” Mendoza said of Marte. “He’s willing to do whatever it takes to help us win ballgames, whether that’s coming off the bench or serving as a DH. There’s a lot he can do to help us.”
