Fresh off signing his nearly unfathomable 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, Juan Soto figures to be patrolling right field at Citi Field for quite a while.
And while Soto undeniably brings plenty of excitement to the Mets, his addition also means a new role for Starling Marte.
Signed by the Mets prior to the 2022 season, the veteran Marte was perhaps the Mets’ best player during his first season in Queens, earning an All-Star nod while leading the Mets to the postseason. But that offseason, Marte underwent double groin surgery, and he simply hasn’t been the same player since, as injuries have limited him to 180 out of a possible 324 games over the past two seasons.
Once Soto signed, Marte’s name began popping up in trade rumors, and on Sunday he told reporters in Port St. Lucie, Fla. that the Mets have been very transparent with him through the process.
“They spoke to me before the [Soto] signing and then after the signing they reiterated that they would try to move me. At the end of the day, they were very clear, very honest with me up front,” Marte said, via an interpreter. “They obviously want the best for this team, but also the best for my future. So they were really helpful and really transparent about the situation.”
While Marte is now in camp with the Mets, a trade still theoretically could happen at any point. But Marte knows that’s out of his control, so his focus is on continuing to be the best teammate he can be.
“I don’t know. At the end of the day, that’s something that’s out of my control, that’s in the control of the front office,” Marte said on the possibility of being traded. “But in the meantime, I’m here, I’m going to continue to work as hard as I possibly can, I’m going to go out there and compete, I’m going to try to give the young guys good advice, I’m going to try to have a positive impact on this clubhouse in whatever way. At the end of the day, I have no control over what happens, whether it’s a trade or not.”
When healthy, Marte has been an everyday player in the bigs, but if he sticks with the Mets for 2025, he knows his role will be different.
“They told me that sometimes I’ll be DH-ing, sometimes I’ll step in for a player if he’s down that day, but at the same time I just have to go out there and compete whenever my number is called to help the team in any way possible,” Marte said. “So yeah, I’m just going to give my best every single time, every opportunity that I’m going to get.”
“He’s at the point in his career where he wants to win,” manager Carlos Mendoza said on Saturday. “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.
“It’s a different role but he wants to be here and we obviously want him here. Winning teams have players in that role who are elite players, and that is certainly the case here. He’s willing to do it and we need him, so I’m excited for him.”