PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — When Juan Soto joined the Mets, Starling Marte’s role was immediately reduced.
With Soto signing a massive 15-year, $765 million contract, right field was locked up, leaving Marte—now in the final season of his four-year, $78 million deal—with fewer opportunities to play.
“They told me that I’ll be DHing. Sometimes I’ll step in for a player if he’s down that day,” Marte said Sunday from spring training. “At the same time, I just have to go out there and compete whenever my number’s called to help out the team in any way possible. I’m just going to give my best every single time, every single opportunity that I’m able to get.”
Trade Speculation Surrounding Marte
Marte revealed that the Mets’ front office discussed trading him to a team where he would have more playing time during the offseason. However, as full-squad workouts began Monday at the team’s spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida, he remained with the club.
“Whenever you’re with a team for the amount of time that I’ve been with the team, you get comfortable,” Marte said. “You don’t want to get traded because you’ve built relationships with the players, the staff, and everyone around here.
“At the same time, any baseball player would love to play every single day because that’s how you get your reps and improve. But right now, I’m here, and I’m going to do my best.”
Despite the uncertainty, Marte is focused on maintaining a positive presence in the Mets’ clubhouse. He has already spoken with manager Carlos Mendoza about his adjusted role heading into the season.
“It’s a different role than what he’s been used to, but it comes down to health,” Mendoza said. “He’s gotta be healthy. With his health, he can help us win baseball games. It was a very honest conversation, and he took it really well. He’s at the point in his career where he wants to win and is willing to do whatever it takes to help us.”
Marte’s Physical Status Heading Into 2025
Marte has battled injuries since earning his second career All-Star selection in 2022 with the Mets.
It started in September of that season when he suffered a broken finger after being hit by a pitch. Though he made a surprising return in the National League Wild Card Series, injuries continued to plague him.
In 2023, he struggled to recover from double groin surgery and later dealt with migraines, limiting him to just 86 games. In 2024, a deep bone bruise in his knee affected him throughout the second half of the season.
“My knee feels good,” Marte said. “I’ve been working a lot with the guys in the training room. It’s day by day.”
Despite being limited to 94 games last season, Marte showed glimpses of his past form, slashing .269/.327/.388 with seven home runs, 40 RBI, 46 runs, and 16 stolen bases. However, he wasn’t fully healthy during the Mets’ run to the National League Championship Series.
The Mets plan to monitor Marte closely throughout spring training, as he is expected to split designated hitter duties with Jesse Winker.
“Towards the end of the year in the offseason, he was still kind of rehabbing,” Mendoza said. “Right now, he’s going through that progression. I don’t think we’ll see him early in camp. He’s doing all the baseball activities and running progression, but we have to monitor it.”
