Starling

Marte

LHP Chris Sale is on the mound, so the Royals have opted to bat righty Lane Thomas third and place Starling Marte in right field. Caglianone only started 12 games against a left-handed pitcher last year, so this isn’t a total surprise, but it’s disappointing that he’ll apparently have to earn his way into those situations. The full lineup for the Royals is: 3B Maikel Garcia, SS Bobby Witt, Thomas, C Salvador Perez, 1B Vinnie Pasquantino, Marte, 2B Jonathan India, LF Isaac Collins and DH Carter Jensen.

The double was a 109-mph laser to center. If Marte could still play quality defense in a corner, he’d probably be a solid enough regular at age 37. As is, it’s probably for the best that the Royals will mostly limit him to at-bats in left field and at DH against lefties. It shouldn’t be enough to make him helpful outside of deep AL-only leagues.

The deal is now official. MLB.com’s Anne Rogers reports Marte can earn an additional $2 million with active roster and performance bonuses. The 37-year-old veteran provides Kansas City with another complementary right-handed platoon partner for either Jac Caglianone in right field or Carter Jensen at DH. He spent the last four years with the Mets and batted .270/.335/.410 with nine homers and seven steals in 98 games in a part-time role this past season.

It’s presumably a major-league deal for Marte, pending a physical. He heads to Kansas City as a right-handed complement for right fielder Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen at DH. He won’t syphon off enough playing time to make a significant fantasy impact but he represents a decent insurance policy in case either former top prospect struggles this season. The 37-year-old veteran outfielder spent the past four years with the Mets and slashed .270/.335/.410 with nine homers and seven steals in 98 games this past season in a part-time role.

Heyman adds that a deal isn’t done yet. It sounds like there is interest from both parties since Marte makes sense for Kansas City as a right-handed complement to slugging corner outfielder Jac Caglianone and center fielder Kyle Isbel. We’ll have updates on the developing situation as they unfold. The 37-year-old veteran spent the last four seasons with the Mets and hit .270/.335/.410 with nine homers and seven steals in 98 games this past season in a part-time role.

If there’s a time to do it, it’s probably with David Peterson, he of the 55% groundball rate, on the mound. Still, weakening the defense to play Starling Marte, rather than Cedric Mullins, against a right-hander doesn’t really seem like an upgrade. Nimmo, the Mets’ primary center fielder from 2020-23, has played eight innings in center over the course of four games this year. He started 22 games in center and 120 in left last year.

Vientos will get a breather after scuffling over the last handful of games for the Mets. The 25-year-old will take a seat with Starling Marte hitting fifth as the designated hitter and Brett Baty the starting third baseman.

Marte capped off a four-run uprising off of Jesús Luzardo in the opening inning with a two-run double. That would wind up being the extent of their offense in the ballgame and Marte’s only hit. The 36-year-old outfielder has actually had a productive season for the Mets, slashing .273/.346/.415 with eight homers, 32 RBI and seven stolen bases in only 296 plate appearances.

It’s just a routine day off for the veteran; although, Mullins has really struggled since coming to the Mets, slashing .188/.297/.294 in 26 games with one home run and eight RBIs. He does have six steals over that time, so he continues to provide fantasy value there, but not many other places. Jeff McNeil will start in center field with Starling Marte entering the lineup as the designated hitter.

Look at Marte go. It’s his first game with two steals since Apr. 6, 2024 and just his second since 2021. It’s also his first game with a homer and a steal since Apr. 20, 2024. Playing mostly against lefties, Marte has hit .345/.387/.655 in 62 plate appearances during the second half. He deserves more time at DH, but that’s less likely to happen with Mark Vientos heating up.