You have to like how openly the New York Mets expressed their intentions to trade Starling Marte. No transaction was ever made, leaving him on course to be the short half of a platoon at DH alongside Jesse Winker. We’ve had far worse DH scenarios in the recent past. Marte is still capable of stealing bags, and his behaviour in the face of the team’s desire to replace him is commendable.
Coming up with any reasonable Marte trades at this juncture is difficult due to the amount of money involved. The Mets would likely have to absorb a significant amount of the contract. However, trading him would help them achieve a more balanced squad. They already have six outfielders predicted to make the Opening Day roster, which is too much, especially since Jeff McNeil can play both corner positions.
Marte and cash for an unknown minor leaguer is perhaps the most likely type of trade the Mets could make. But, where? For the San Francisco Giants, replacing Wilmer Flores makes a lot of sense.
Starling Marte replacing Wilmer Flores would strengthen the Giants’ overall lineup.
Briefly, Marte and cash for Flores were considered. However, given how little he played last year and his awful performance, it’s not a good idea. If the Mets are dealing Marte to free up a roster space, it must be for someone who can play more than first base, which is what Flores primarily plays these days.
Flores is coming off a season in which he hit.206/.277/.318 over 242 plate appearances. The year before, he hit a career-high 23 home runs while batting.284/.355/.509. He is in the final year of his deal with San Francisco, which pays him $3.5 million in 2025. He’s quite inexpensive, but how valuable is he?
When looking for a Marte trade destination, projected statistics for right fielders and DHs are critical. The Giants’ right fielders are projected to produce 1.9 WAR. It is tied for the eighth worst in Major League Baseball. According to FanGraphs, the DH spot is worse, at 0.5 WAR.
Marte might be a match for the Giants as a regular DH or platoon partner for lefty Mike Yastrzemski. Although expected to be worth 0.4 WAR as a right fielder and DH combined, this is owing to his minimal playing time with the Mets. Replacing Flores with the Giants would allow them to use him more frequently and determine how much petrol is still in the tank. New York appears to be convinced that they need to limit his mileage.
Marte’s 0.4 WAR (yes, WAR is not everything) corresponds to what the Giants’ DHs are expected to have. The issue with this type of agreement is primarily financial, as the Giants would not hire both him and Flores, putting them in the position of potentially DFAing the former Mets fan favourite and eating the cost. If it wasn’t Flores, a switch might make sense. But the Mets aren’t going to sign a broken fan favourite simply to put him on the roster bubble.
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