3 weeks agoNew York Mets outfielder
Starling Marte (knee) is serving as the designated hitter and batting sixth on Monday in the Grapefruit League game against the St. Louis Cardinals. It is the spring training debut for the aging Marte, who hadn't played until this point due to soreness in his right knee. If the 36-year-old can avoid setbacks and also return to action on defense in right field, he should be able to avoid starting the 2025 regular season on the injured list. Still, it's a reminder to fantasy managers that Marte is an extreme injury risk in the twilight of his career and can't be counted on as a speed threat anymore. To preserve his health, the Mets are expected to give Marte plenty of built in rest days, which means he won't be a regular anymore after the team signed superstar outfielder
Juan Soto this offseason as the everyday right fielder. Expect a short-side platoon for Marte with
Jesse Winker in center field.
UPDATE: Marte was happy with how his knee felt on Monday in his spring debut and didn't have trouble running to second on a double he hit in the second inning.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoThe New York Post's Joel Sherman writes that the Kansas City Royals made a push to acquire outfielder
Starling Marte from the New York Mets in the winter, but the two sides couldn't come to an agreement after the Mets asked for a reliever such as
Hunter Harvey or
Angel Zerpa. While Marte remains with the Mets, Sherman says that the Royals haven't completely given up on the possibility of trading for Marte. The 36-year-old is near the end of his career and has battled injuries in recent seasons, including right-knee soreness this spring, but he'd be a nice veteran presence for a young Royals club that surprisingly made the playoffs last fall. At this point, regardless of where he's playing, Marte probably won't be an everyday player after suiting up for a combined 180 games the last two years for the Mets. Both his power and speed numbers are dwindling in the twilight of his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Joel Sherman
1 month agoMLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports that New York Mets outfielder
Starling Marte (knee) will begin taking live batting practice early in March on the back fields in camp. The veteran outfielder has been dealing with knee soreness since last summer, although the Mets remain confident he'll be good to go for Opening Day in late March. The 36-year-old Dominican outfielder hasn't played in more than 118 games in his three seasons in Queens due to injuries, and he's hit only 12 home runs with 68 RBI and 40 stolen bases in 180 games combined the last two years. With
Juan Soto now New York's starting right fielder, it seems likely that Marte will be in line for a reduced role in New York between the outfield and designated hitter in 2025. It would not be a surprise if the Mets play it safe and put him on the injured list to begin the year. He's ranked as the No. 100 fantasy outfielder at RotoBaller.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
1 month agoAccording to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, New York Mets outfielders
Starling Marte and
Jesse Winker are set to platoon at the designated hitter spot to open the season. Castillo noted that Marte could see occasional starts in right field. As a result, Marte will be on the short side of the platoon, given that he is the right-handed bat. Last season, the 36-year-old posted a .269/.327/.388 line with seven home runs and 16 stolen bases. However, when facing left-handed pitchers, Marte was quite effective as he posted a strong .310/.384/.460 line. Winker resigned with the Mets on a one-year contract earlier this offseason. Facing right-handers, Winker held a .258/.366/.422 slash line. As a result, both players will have limited values in fantasy, given that they will share playing time. However, both could be valuable in deeper NL-only formats, especially in daily lineup leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jorge Castillo
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