Starling Marte Predicted to Join NL East Club

This could mark the end of Starling Marte's New York Mets tenure.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (6) | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

One of the best remaining free agent hitters in the market is former New York Mets outfielder and DH, Starling Marte.

On the one hand, it's strange to see Marte still available. While he has struggled to stay healthy for the past few seasons, he is still an average to above-average hitter when he sees consistent at-bats. He can provide timely hitting and power, plus defense isn't a worry because he's largely confined to DH at this point in his career.

Then again, Marte is 37 years old, is in the twilight of his career, and could likely still cost a pretty penny in free agency. Not to mention that he'd primarily be used as a platoon DH when right-handed pitchers are on the mound, which limits his potential intrigue to many teams.

Still, there's no doubt that Marte will find a suitor at some point. And he's in a stage in his career where he can afford to be picky and patient when finding the right club at the right price.

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (6) | John Jones-Imagn Images

Expert Suggests Starling Marte Will Land With San Francisco Giants

One potential option for Marte would be the San Francisco Giants. And that's where Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer predicted Marte would end up in a February 19 article.

"As a team, the Giants ranked 29th in MLB with a .635 OPS against lefties last year. Oracle Park had a hand in that, but it was mostly a function of their offense leaning overwhelmingly to the left," Rymer wrote.

Read more: Insider Makes Bold Nolan McLean Prediction for Mets 2026 Season

"They did address that by bringing in Harrison Bader, but he looks more like an everyday center fielder than a platoon bat. Marte is an ideal fit for the latter role, specifically in tandem with Jung Hoo Lee (right field) and Bryce Eldridge (DH)," he added.

Starling Marte on IG:

“Mi muchacho” pic.twitter.com/8Ed7aG5CL3

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) December 23, 2025

Granted, there's still a world where Marte returns to the Mets in a short-term deal and assumes a similar platoon role that he had last year. Many Mets fans would prefer this. And one would assume that Juan Soto would feel the same way, as he and Marte are close friends, and Soto even said that he believed Marte was the Mets' true captain last year.

If the Mets haven't signed Marte at this point, it's hard to imagine that they're going to do so this late in the offseason and instead are content to let him sign elsewhere. Perhaps that "elsewhere" will be San Francisco.

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