Starling Marte

New York Yankees: Fans are angry as Yankees sit idly by, ignoring the free agent market

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yankees, corey seager

New York Yankee fans are confused, frustrated, and even angry as one after another target or player of interest drops off the market, being scooped up by other teams, even teams within the Yankees’ division.

Most of the confusion arises from the Yankees’ near pledge to improve the team for 2022 by spending big and acquiring players to return the team to championship contention. But instead, what fans have gotten is a front office that has been surprisingly quiet, if not completely dormant, as other teams are picking up quality players with amazing speed.

Just yesterday, two huge free agency monikers dropped off the market, with the big prize, Max Scherzer, going to the crosstown New York Mets and Corey Seager going to the Texas Rangers. Although Scherzer was more of a wish for the Yankees, they were never really in on him due to the projected cost. However, no one would have ever dreamed that he would be signed for $43 million a year, making him the highest-priced starting pitcher in MLB history. The big slap in the face is that he went to the Mets.

At this point, there is no question that the Mets are making moves to bring them to at least an NL East division win, and maybe going to their first World Series since 2015, in which they lost to the Kansas City Royals one game to four. The New York Yankees have not appeared in a World Series game since they won in 2009.

The Yankees were seriously looking at Starling Marte to bolster their center field presence, but that fell through when the Mets scooped him up last week with a four-year contract for a reported $78 million. With the Mets signing Scherzer, they have already spent double the money the Yankees might consider spending. If that isn’t a statement, I don’t know what is.

The other big name off the market yesterday was shortstop Corey Seager, who went to the Texas Rangers for a reported $325 million for 10 years. Not only is he no longer available to the Yankees, but that contract sets the bar for the only other huge name on the shortstop market, Carlos Correa, who presently remains unsigned. With that likely cost, the Yankees will not be contending for him.

Another big name now off the Yankees’ radar is former Blue Jays’ co-ace Robbie Ray, who went to the  Seattle Mariners for three years at $115 million. In return, the Blue Jays signed another Yankee pitcher of interest, Kevin Gausman, to a 5-year deal worth $110 million. What may be surprising to Yankee fans, as well as the front office, who’re watching other teams spend insane amounts of money.

Whether you believe the Yankees are being cheap, or Hal Steinbrenner won’t let loose of the purse, you can’t blame the Yankees for not signing any long-term, big-money contracts like the ones that seem to dominate the free agency market. After all, the Yankees are mulling a contract extension for star Aaron Judge that will be costly, and already have two monster contracts to pay to ace Gerrit Cole and the remaining huge contract for Giancarlo Stanton. Most of these contracts are being signed by teams that couldn’t contend last season, and don’t already have huge contracts on their rosters.

Although there may be some action today, and before the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires tomorrow night, it looks like general manager Brian Cashman will have to work his magic, like he did with DJ LeMahieu, as only some crumbs are going to be left over.

Mets secure some Black Friday deals: Three signings in one day!

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New York Mets interested in trading for Starling Marte.

The New York Mets, heavily criticized for their inactivity during the free agency period, made a huge statement on Friday and signed three players to bolster their lineup: outfielders Starling Marte and Mark Canha, and infielder Eduardo Escobar.

Marte was the prize among free agent outfielders, and he will be going to the Mets in a four-year, $78 million deal. The 33-year-old is coming off his best season, slashing .310/.383/.458 with 12 home runs and 47 stolen bases between the Miami Marlins and the Oakland Athletics. He remains a good center fielder, and that’s the position he will play in New York while Brandon Nimmo slides over to a corner.

Canha is known as a fantastic on-base threat with some power and versatility. The 32-year-old is very capable: he hit 17 home runs in 141 games to go along with a .746 OPS last year, and it was a somewhat down season for him. He owns a career .244 average and a .344 on-base percentage, and has averaged 20 homers per season over his last three full campaigns, per the Mets official site.

The Mets added experience and versatility; now they will seek pitching

Escobar is a good solution for the infield. He is an All-Star, has experience playing both second and third base, and hit 28 homers and drove in 90 runs last year for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers. He hit a career-high 35 homers while tying for the Major League lead with 10 triples in 2019.

With those three pieces, the Mets’ lineup is dramatically improved over what they had to finish the season.

The Mets are now focused on adding some pitching. At the moment, they have only five viable starting pitchers in Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, David Peterson, and Tylor Megill, and they would like to add at least a couple of names to the mix before the expected lockout date of December 1.

New York Yankees lose another center field option, The Hicks story

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New York Yankees, Aaron Hicks

For the 2022 season, the New York Yankees still have questions in center field. The biggest one is if Aaron Hicks can stay healthy this season. Hicks missed most of the 2021 season due to wrist surgery. For the Yankees, Hicks has been an on and off again player, but received a contract extension much to the surprise of many Yankee fans.

After coming from the Minnesota Twins, Hicks has spent the last six years with the Yankees, only playing over 100 games in two of those seasons. Hicks has suffered from several injuries during his time with the Yankees, making who will be playing in center a near constant question. Last year they rehired bench player Brett Gardner who played 140 games for him.

The Yankees have been looking for options in case Hicks can’t stay healthy. One is bringing back Gardner yet again. They also have been scouring the free agency markets. Starling Marte has often been mentioned to play center, but he has been removed from the market when the Mets signed him to a four year contract this past week.

Let’s take a look at Hick’s story. The New York Yankees other Aaron is Aaron Michael Hicks, the Yankees center fielder. Hicks was born on October 2, 1989, in San Padro, California.  Hicks played baseball as a child and for Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California.  He ranked No. 72 among Top 100 Prospects by MLB.com entering the 2012 season. Ranked as the fourth-best prospect, best defensive outfielder and best outfield arm in the Minnesota Twins’ system by Baseball America following the 2011 season. … Selected by the Twins in the first round (14th overall) of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

Hicks stayed in the Twins system for five years until he made his major league debut on April Fools Day 2013.  He was the starting center fielder for the Twins.  He did not impress and was sent down to AAA on August first.  But despite his underwhelming 2013 performance at the plate, he was back up in the majors in 2014 due to his excellent outfield defense. However, his battles at the plate continued, and he was again sent down, this time to AA.  2015 would show a dramatic improvement hitting .256 with eleven home runs and 33 RBIs in 97 games.

After the 2015 season, Hicks was traded to the New York Yankees for catcher John Ryan Murphy.  The Yankees citing an aging Brett Gardner wanted Hicks due to his excellent defense and better than average throwing arm.  The Yankees wanted Hicks for his switch-hitting ability, something the Yankees were sorely lacking  at the time.

In Aaron Hicks, six years with the Yankees, they have not been able to consistently enjoy his abilities in centerfield or at the plate.  During his time back and forth between the Stadium, Trenton, and Scranton Wilkes/Barre, he has shown signs of power behind the plate and excellence in a cannon of an arm in the outfield.

The main obstacle to Hicks showing his stuff is his injury history.  After an injury-plagued 2017 season when he hit .266, he started the 2018 season on the IL with a right Intercostal Muscle Strain. In 2018 he played in 133 games after being reinstated from the DL on April 12 and hit an inside-the-park home run against the Detroit Tigers on the next day. Hicks would hit another inside-the-park-home run against the Kansas City Royals on May 19, becoming the first Yankee since Mickey Mantle in 1958 to hit two inside-the-park home runs in a single season. On July 1, Hicks hit three home runs in one game against the Boston Red Sox which endeared him to Yankee fans. Hicks ended the season with 27 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 119 hits, all career highs.

2019 would be another season marked by three injuries, both back and elbow problems. Those injuries caused him to play in only 59 games.  The elbow became the main issue that caused him to have Tommy John Surgery immediately after the season concluded.  The Yankees decision to keep Brett Gardner on the team reaped its rewards as Gardner had a career year. The absence of Hicks did not hurt the team as a whole, Although his switch-hitting was missed in the lineup.

During the offseason of 2018/2019, the Yankees signed Hicks to a seven-year $70MM contract extension.  They did have Brett Gardner for another season as he signed a one year deal with a 2021 option.  They did this as they need a back up if things don’t go well for Hicks upon his return.  Hicks has been quiet regarding his rehab on his Twitter account.

In a Zoom call in 2020, New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said Hicks will be back in center field in 2020 if he doesn’t encounter any setbacks. He did an played in 54 games. His healthy 2020 was short-lived as he missed most of the 2021 season and in the games his played he could only muster up a .194 batting average and four home runs. In his career with the Yankees over six years he has hit .237 with just over 10 home runs a season.

Like many New York Yankee players, Hick is pretty tight-lipped about his personal life.  We do know that he is supposedly unmarried, but has been going out with a beauty named Jessica Knoles for some time.  There are unconfirmed rumors that they may have been married and had a child together. Photos on the Internet seem to confirm that.

Yankees battling with Astros as both pursue hot outfield free agent

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New York Mets interested in trading for Starling Marte.

The Yankees are hyper-focused on the short-stop market with Carlos Correa and Corey Seager preparing to sign long-term contracts, but I also have outfield support as a priority this off-season.

The Yankees have been connected to several players, notably in centerfield, given the injuries Aaron Hicks has sustained over the past few seasons. Hicks featured in just 32 games last year and 59 games in 2019, before the Covid abbreviated season. With his reliability in question, the Bombers are considering signing a free agent option, former Pittsburgh pirate and Oakland Athletics OF Starling Marte.

The Yankees have significant competition for Marte’s signature, as the Miami Marlins and Houston Astros are seeking a contract with the former All-Star.

The Yankees might be looking to spend big money at shortstop and settle on a more cost-efficient player in the outfield, but Marte is an intriguing player, posting a .310 batting average with 12 homers and 55 RBIs this past season over 120 games. Marte also posted a .458 slugging percentage and .841 OPS. Defensively, he recorded a .990 fielding percentage with 3 errors over 1022 innings.

Marte is seeking a contract in the 3–4 year range. Depending on the Yankees’ open checkbook, he could be looking for a deal worth $20+ million per season.

New York Post’s Joel Sherman predicted what a prospective contract would look like. Cashman may be willing to splash the cash for a long-term solution at centerfield, especially with Brett Gardner gone.

Teams will want to limit this to three years (through age-35). Marte will want four. Is the compromise a three-year, $60 million deal ($20 million average) with an option that makes it four at $72 million ($18 million average) if triggered? My guess is a team willing to go four guaranteed years wins this.

With Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Joey Gallo on the roster, there might not be a need for a lucrative free agent like Starling, especially since they expect Hicks to return to full health. There are alternative free agents on the market, including Nick Castellanos, Michael Conforto, etc.

However, if Cashman a serious about Marte, he’s going to have plenty of competition which may drive his price tag up.

Do you think the Yankee should sign Starling Marte as a solution in the outfield? Comment here!

Mets join race for star free agent center fielder

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New York Mets interested in trading for Starling Marte.

This week, it was reported that the New York Yankees could be interested in free agent center fielder Starling Marte. However, as one of the top players at his position, it’s only logical that he generates buzz all around the league, and in the last couple of days, the New York Mets and Miami Marlins are said to be in on the dynamic outfielder.

In the past few hours, Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media had reported that Marte is, at the very least, on the Yankees’ radar. He also said that the players was under consideration in this year’s trade deadline.

However, the Mets are apparently now pushing for the speedy outfielder. Marte, 33, hit .310/.383/.458 in 2021, with a .841 OPS, 12 home runs, and 47 stolen bases between two teams.

The Mets want Marte, but have competition

One of those two clubs was the Oakland A’s, the team that acquired him as a rental at the deadline. The other organization is the Marlins, which oddly enough is interested in bringing him back as a free agent this offseason.

The Marlins and Marte talked about an extension, but when talks went nowhere, they decided to deal him, and got promising lefty Jesus Luzardo in return. But it appears that a long-term marriage is back on the table, and Marte has repeatedly said he loves Miami.

The Mets, however, are lurking. They, and “many others” according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, are also showing interest.

Center field is an area in which the Mets could use an improvement, especially defensively. Brandon Nimmo is the team center fielder and leadoff hitter, and he does a good job, but he is better suited at one of the corners with the glove. Signing Marte would mean that they slide Nimmo, probably to right field to cover for free agent Michael Conforto if he is not re-signed.

Yankees: What would it take to lure Starling Marte out of Miami?

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New York Mets interested in trading for Starling Marte.

The New York Yankees could really use a center fielder. Ever since Aaron Hicks went down with a wrist injury, the position has been problematic for the Bombers, who have had to field Aaron Judge there because the best fit there, Brett Gardner, is slashing .206/.311/.316.

That is why the Yankees have been connected to the two Martes, Ketel and Starling, from the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Miami Marlins, respectively.

Marte, who is currently 32, will be a free agent after the season, and while he has voiced his interest to remain in Florida, the Marlins rarely commit to aging, pricey free agents. The team is still undecided about which path they will take this year, as they enter Wednesday in the last place of the NL East division.

What could the Yankees give to Miami?

If Miami decides to make Marte available, teams know he will be a rental. The Yankees could be very interested, but at what price?

Here is what the Miami Herald had to report on Wednesday (per NJ Advance Media):

“We’re told the Marlins would be comfortable with a two-year deal, perhaps for something in the $30 million range. But if Marte wants something in the range of three years and $40 million or four years and $50 million, the expectation is that the Marlins would walk away. … If the Marlins determine by July 30 that they won’t be able to agree on a new deal and if they’re not in realistic contention for a wild-card berth, they likely will explore trading their best hitter. Miami probably could command a front-line prospect in return.”

While the Yankees do have front-line prospects they could potentially offer, it’s doubtful they will do it for a rental.

Even if the Yankees do commit to Marte long-term, they would have questions, mostly surrounding his advanced age.

Marte is a two-time Gold Glove winner, hitting .321 this season with five home runs and 16 RBI this season.

Will the Yankees be willing to include a prospect such as Oswald Peraza, or Yohendrys Gomez, for Marte? Should they?

Yankees interested in Starling Marte (Report)

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According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the New York Yankees “have checked in” with the Arizona Diamondbacks about outfielder Starling Marte.

The D-Backs acquired Marte, 31, from the Pittsburgh Pirates in January for top-30 prospects Brennan Malone and Liover Peguero. Across 118 at-bats this season, the outfielder sports a .322 batting average, an .853 OPS and a 131 OPS+ while totaling two home runs and 14 RBIs. For his career, Marte is hitting .288 with a .795 OPS and a 116 OPS+ while totaling 110 home runs and 434 RBIs.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal says the D-Backs are open to trading both Marte and reliever Archie Bradley.

The Yankees have several players on the injured list including outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Marte could theoretically be an everyday player for the foreseeable future in the Bronx. He has a team option for the 2021 Major League Baseball season ($12.5 million). Sherman notes that the Yankees don’t want to “add much, if any salary.”

The Yankees, 17-13, are in second place in the American League East, four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. Their offense is fourth in MLB in slugging (.453), 17th in batting average (.246), 19th in runs (147) and 24th in hits (229). Infielders Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela and catcher Kyle Higashioka are nursing injuries.

MLB insider Robert Murray reported on Sunday that the Yankees are interested in Cleveland Indians right-hander Mike Clevinger; Murray adds that Cleveland is believed to want “four quality prospects.” Clevinger is under contract through 2022. Left-hander James Paxton is on the injured list with a Grade 1 flexor strain.

Around the diamond, opposing teams can request one or a combination of Clint Frazier, Miguel Andujar, and Mike Tauchman in a trade. On the hill, opposing teams can request one or a combination of Michael King, Jordan Montgomery, Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia in a trade.

The MLB trade deadline is Monday, August 31 at 4 p.m.

Should the New York Mets Trade for Starling Marte?

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New York Mets interested in trading for Starling Marte.

The New York Mets have intensified their desire to acquire Starling Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates. This rekindling of trade talks likely comes in response to the Atlanta Braves signing Marcell Ozuna. The looming question hanging over the Mets is he worth the trade?

https://twitter.com/yaschwa30/status/1220834299064262658

The simple answer is no. The Mets should not avoid the trade because they do not need him, but because they should not dish out more than he is worth. Marte is heading into his age-31 season, and the defensive metrics do not favor him in center field. The trade would force the Mets to give up either J.D. Davis, Brandon Nimmo, and guarantee them moving Tomas Nido and a mid-level prospect.

Keep the Hand You Are Dealt

In 2019, Marte’s best slugging year only put him third among the Mets group of outfielders. He sits behind Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis and is only nine points better than Michael Conforto. Nimmo’s best year in 2018 was better than any slugging year Marte put together before his .503 in 2019.

The four main outfield options are all younger, cheaper, and better at the plate than Marte. Yes, Marte is the better base stealer, but he ranks dead last when comparing him to the 2019 Mets outfielders. Marte’s best walk rate season (6.1%) is still worse than Nimmo’s worst walk rate season (7.5%).

We omit the bat of Jake Marisnick because he will not be a consideration to start every day going into spring training.

Speed Does Not Equal Defense

Marte is faster than the two starting center field options of Conforto and Nimmo, but he is not better defensively. There was a time where that statement was completely false, but Marte’s defense fell off big time last season. Marte’s UZR dropped from 3.2 to -7.6 from 2018 to 2019. The drop is way too drastic for the Mets to take a risk to hope he is slightly better than Conforto and Nimmo.

Marte saw more time in center than both Mets center fielders. When both UZR’s are expanded to equal the same amount of time, Nimmo still projects to play better, and Conforto projects as a serviceable right fielder. The Mets will not be getting the gold glove caliber Marte, who is likely in a declining part of his career.

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If the Mets want to include Davis instead of Nimmo, then the Mets will put themselves in a high position to succeed. Despite likely being on a decline, his poor UZR will settle in the middle between 2018 and 2019. The key is keeping Nimmo and any high-level prospects out of the trade.

The Pirates are much like the Mets when it comes to horrible organizational management since the century turned. Both have their fair share of questionable moves, and this trade will come down to makes the trade out of confidence, not desperateness. Brodie Van Wagenen trades have come with more failure than success during his short tenure with the Mets. This final one could be what determines his fate under the ownership of Steve Cohen.

 

New York Mets Re-Sign Rene Rivera

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The New York Mets catching depth behind Wilson Ramos was extremely thin heading into Spring Training, but the Mets have brought back veteran catcher Rene Rivera. He comes back to the Mets on a minor league deal for the second consecutive year, and he also receives an invite to Spring Training.

Rivera will make $1 million if he lands on the major league roster along with another $300,000 in possible incentives. The 36-year old veteran is your prototypical backup catcher, pop in his bat, and very strong defensively. He only played in nine big-league games during the 2019 season, hitting .235. Rivera’s minor league was fantastic, he hit 25 home runs and threw out 52 percent of base stealers.

Separate Plan in Place

Projected trade piece Tomas Nido is the current Mets backup catcher. His name has come up in trade talks with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Rivera would slot in place should the Mets acquire Marte. Discussions on Marte increased over the last week, and after the Atlanta Braves signed Marcel Ozuna, the Mets might look to equal the move.

Should Nido stay, both would compete for the backup catcher job. The Mets handed Nido the position last season, but he was not convincing as the man for the situation going forward. In 50 games, Nido only hit .191 and struggled to throw out any baserunners. The Mets will need some production from their backup, so Wilson Ramos can avoid playing in 140+ games in 2020.

New York Mets: Winter Meetings End With More Work to be Done

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As the winter meetings come to a close, the New York Mets were in the middle of the pack when it came to making moves. The Yankees and Angels came out as big winners, while the Mets opted to add depth pieces. Now that we move towards 2020, what is next move for Brodie Van Wagenen?

The additions of Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello were low risk, high reward moves, but that has become the norm under Van Wagenen. Some have panned out, but they are still a couple of pieces away from becoming a top tier contender in the NL East. The moves to add starters have filled a part of their needs, but what else is left?

Who Else is There to Sign?

The most significant piece for the Mets to sign Dellin Betances to solidify their rotation. Should they sign him, the Mets have the potential to possess one of the most dominant bullpens in baseball. Of course, we are playing the hoping game but stick with it here. A bullpen of Edwin Diaz, Seth Lugo, Dellin Betances, Jeurys Familia, Brad Brach, Justin Wilson, Robert Gsellman is loaded with potential.

We have to assume Diaz and Familia were no where near the pitchers they were last year and are due for a bounce-back in 2020. Plus, this is a bullpen that is without one of the six starting pitchers that will head to the pen.

The other need should still be an everyday center fielder. Jake Marisnick was assumed to be the every day center fielder, but he will be nothing more than a Juan Lagares replacement. His role should be to replace either Michael Conforto or Brandon Nimmo as a defensive replacement in center field.

Get Marte or Get More Pitching

Starling Marte should be the man they want to play center field everyday. The Mets have the pieces in place to make the trade, but should the Mets hesitate to pull the trigger; they should have another plan in place. If they unload Jed Lowrie’s contract, they should aim to bolster their pitching staff with major league ready arms. It does not matter whether they start or relieve; the options have to be available.

The Mets were relatively lucky with health in their pitching staff in 2019. They cannot depend on the same health and should plan for the worst. If the Mets can limit guys like Walker Lockett and Drew Gagnon from making 27 combined appearances and cut that number in half, it will put the team in a much better position to contend in 2020.