Mets Sign Starling Marte To Massive Deal

The New York Mets have been busy. Within the last 24 hours, the Mets have made three separate signings. Earlier in the day, New York inked Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar to contracts. Now the Mets have come with the hammer over the top signing Starling Marte to a massive deal. Billy Eppler has officially made his first major splash with the Marte deal and it’s not cheap.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network was the first to report the news:

Breaking: Starling Marte to Mets is done pending physical
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 27, 2021

Marte, 33, has suited up for the Pirates, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Athletics, and now Mets. A year ago, Marte slashed .316/.359/.466 with the A’s after being traded by Miami. Marte also stole 47 bags so thus far he hasn’t aged a bit.

The Mets had a hole in centerfield for what seems like forever so Marte feels like a logical fit. For years the Mets have tried to plug this hole with stop gaps like Juan Lagares, Kevin Pillar, and Jake Marisnick. Marte was also head and shoulders the best centerfielder on the market.

However, on the surface, this feels like a major overpay. Of course, there was competition for Marte’s services. Still, handing a 33-year-old a four-year contract worth almost $20 million a year doesn’t feel like the wisest decision. Handing Marte this kind of contract obviously isn’t buying low. This is an aggressive move by Eppler. The odds are Marte ages rapidly on the back half of this contract.