Starling Marte

Three best landing spots if the Marlins trade Starling Marte

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One of the hottest properties on the market, Starling Marte trade rumors are everywhere…

The MLB trade deadline is just around the corner and that means contenders will be making moves to get better. It also means that bottom dwellers will be selling off whatever goods they have.

One of those names on the trade market is All-Star outfielder Starling Marte of the Miami Marlins. The 32-year will be a free agent this offseason, with his six-year deal that he signed back in 2014 with the Pittsburgh Pirates expiring. The Marlins were a surprise last season, making the playoffs. That magic was vanished this season, with the Marlins sitting well into last place in a loaded NL East.

Marte is currently hitting .293 with seven home runs and 22 RBIs. He also boasts a .390 on-base percentage and a .451 slugging percentage. His main position is center field, but has played in both left and right field in his career.

Starling Marte trade rumors 2021

For a team that is contending for a World Series title, Marte would be a great pickup at the deadline to fill a starting center field position. The 32-year-old and the Miami Marlins extension talks have seemingly ended. The Marlins had offered a reported three-year deal for $30 million, but Marte declined.

       

His short time in Miami is coming to a close, with a number of teams interested in acquiring the veteran outfielder. There have been multiple teams reportedly interested in trading for Marte. Let’s take a look at three potential destinations for Miami to trade Marte to.

Astros

The Houston Astros knew they would have a void to fill this past winter with George Springer leaving the team in free agency. But Myles Straw has done a pretty good job in center field. He certainly doesn’t have Springer’s offensive production, but he’s batting .262 and .342 on-base percentage. He has 31 RBIs and leads the team with 14 stolen bases. Given the rest of the talent on the roster, he’s not relied upon like Springer for his offense and those numbers are actually very good for what they need from him.

That being said, Marte is absolutely an upgrade from Straw. The Astros are in first place in the AL West and certainly are in a position where they should make the postseason. There’s no questioning that if Marte were to be shipped to Houston, he would be the everyday center fielder. Straw would be bumped down to fill the role Chas McCormick currently has as the fourth outfielder.

That brings up another reason to trade for Marte. The Astros lack depth in the outfield. After McCormick, there’s not many other options. There’s Yordan Alvarez if they absolutely need an outfielder, but Dusty Baker would rather have him at DH. Aledmys Diaz has played a handful of games in the outfield, but he’s more of a utility infielder. Bringing in Marte would bolster the depth of the outfield, especially if any injuries were to occur.

       

Giants

All season long, people have been waiting for the San Francisco Giants to fall off. But here we are, nearing the end of July, and the Giants don’t appear to be going anywhere, sitting atop the NL West ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

However their outfield, especially center field, has been a revolving door. The center field position has been patrolled by Austin Slater, Steven Duggar, Mauricio Dubon and Mike Tauchman. Offensively, Duggar is sporting a .275 batting average, however Slater is batting .223 and Tauchman is at .173. Dubon is more of a utility infielder and is currently in Triple-A.

The Giants do have centerfield prospect Heliot Ramos in their system, and he was just promoted to Triple-A. If he continues to progress, there’s a chance come October, he’s up with San Francisco, but that shouldn’t be Plan A. Plus he’s a name that could be going back Miami’s way in a trade for Marte, if the Marlins add more to the deal. Regardless, bringing in Marte would give some solidarity to a position that hasn’t really had any this season for the Giants.

Yankees

The 2020-21 season has not gone as expected for the New York Yankees. They entered the season as favorites to contend for the World Series. Instead, they’re in a position where they are going to have to fight for a playoff spot.

The center field position has been a concern ever since it was announced Aaron Hicks was done for the season with a wrist injury. Brett Gardner and his .191 batting average has been the primary center fielder for the Yankees. Aaron Judge has seen a handful of games at center, as well as Tyler Wade.

If the Yankees want to make a serious run at playing in October, they need to make a move. Bringing in Marte seems like a no-brainer for them. It would not only solidifying the center field position, but give a much needed boast to the lineup. Marte’s .293 batting average would immediately lead the team.

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