No one can say with any certainty what the New York Mets will look like next season, but there’s bound to be plenty of change.
After free-falling from a 45-24 record in mid-June to an 83-79 finish, the Mets missed the playoffs because of a tiebreaker. It was one of the most memorable collapses of the 21st century, and it seemingly demands the organization to make sweeping changes, to the roster, coaching staff, and/or front office.
On the player side of things, Pete Alonso is clearly the Mets’ most important free agent. But there are also some other big names hitting the open market, including a two-time All-Star who showed this season that he can still be productive in the right situations.
Starling Marte, a longtime outfielder who mostly served as the team’s designated hitter against lefties this season, put together a solid campaign with a 111 OPS+. Entering his age-37 season, though, it’s easy to envision the Mets moving on from him after a four-year stop in Queens.
On Tuesday, NJ.com writer Manny Gómez predicted that Marte would be one of at least five free agents the Mets wouldn’t bring back for next season.
“This season, Marte proved to be an indispensable part of the Mets,” Gómez wrote. “After essentially being replaced by Juan Soto in right field, he accepted a diminished role, embracing the role of mentor.”
“When his name was called upon, he produced like one of the best hitters on the team. He batted .270 with a .745 OPS, including nine home runs and seven stolen bases in 98 games with the Mets.”
Marte was once one of the most athletic outfielders in the big leagues, but even with a rocket arm, he’s become largely unplayable on defense thanks to his diminished range. The Mets, who have a superstar hitter but poor defender in Juan Soto as their right fielder, seemingly cannot afford to bring Marte back as a DH-only option.
But while Marte won’t find anything close to the $20 million salary he made this year, it seems likely some team will find a role for him moving forward.
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