The rumor comes after the team unloaded Jeff McNeil in a trade with the Athletics.
Following the news that the Mets had traded Jeff McNeil to the Athletics, Francys Romero shared that the Mets are believed to be exploring a trade for Ketel Marte, per an industry source. Arizona has been floating Marte’s name in trade talks all offseason. Marte, who primarily plays second base, has been named to back-to-back NL All-Star teams and has won consecutive Silver Slugger Awards, while finishing third in NL MVP voting in 2024 behind Shohei Ohtani and Francisco Lindor.
Marte finished 2025 slashing .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs, 87 runs scored, 72 runs batted in, and a 145 wRC+. He ended up with a 4.6 fWAR, the third-best in a season in his career. Injuries limited him to 126 games, including a left hamstring strain in April and a right foot contusion in September. He is one year removed from his career year, when he hit .292/.372/.560 with a career-best 36 homers, 93 runs scored, and 95 runs batted in. He also set career bests in wRC+ (152) and in fWAR (6.3). Overall, his bat is elite across the board, including in bat speed (85th percentile), K% (85th percentile), BB% (84th percentile), and Barrel % (83rd percentile). On the fielding front, his range is 74th percentile while his arm is considered 41st percentile. He is not a strong baserunner, with baserunning value in the 10th percentile.
On the surface, the move doesn’t seem to make sense, especially with Marcus Semien patrolling second base. However, Marte is versatile enough and could be an option for the club to play the outfield, specifically left field. In his career, he’s had minimal experience playing third, short, and center field. Marte is under contract through 2030 with a player option for 2031. He will make $16 million in 2026, $12 million in 2027, $20 million in 2028, and $22 million in 2029 and 2030.
Category: General Sports
