Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The Mets could be looking to add much needed speed to the team this winter. According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Mets are one of many teams interested in outfielder Starling Marte.
After joining the Miami Marlins during the 2020 shortened season, Marte put together an incredible season with Miami and the Oakland Athletics in 2021. He had a triple slash line of .310/.383/.458 and led MLB with 47 stolen bases on 52 attempts. The addition of Marte would give the Mets the ability to either move Brandon Nimmo into a corner outfield spot or put Marte in left field, where he is a two-time Gold Glove winner.
While there will certainly be plenty of teams in the market for the 33-year-old Dominican outfielder, the Mets would be a team that could benefit the most from adding his skillset. We wrote about the fit in a Free Agent Profile recently.
The clear biggest boost Marte would provide for the Mets is his speed. After stealing 22 bases in 64 games for Miami, Marte joined the Athletics and stole 25 bases in 56 games. He finished tied for fifth in the National League in steals and sixth in the American League despite splitting time between the two leagues. The Mets as a team only stole seven more bases than Marte stole by himself in 2021.
Marte’s ability to hit for average and maintain a high on-base percentage would be another big boost for a team that struggled to produce any sort of consistent offense this past season. Aside from his brief rookie season in 2012, Marte has hit .275 or better in every season. Having him and Nimmo at the top of the order could get the run producers in the heart of the order more opportunities to do damage.
After being traded midseason to Oakland, Marte will not have a qualifying offer attached to him. Adding a player with his talents to the top of the lineup could be what the Mets need to become the offensive powerhouse we all expected in 2021.
