Juan Soto might not have talked to any of his former teammates on the Yankees about free agency, but there is a member of the Mets he mentioned Thursday during his introductory press conference: Right fielder Starling Marte, the player whose place he’s taking in right field.
Soto mentioned having talked to Marte in the past and having talked with him throughout the season. This isn’t necessarily surprising, considering the two both come from the Dominican Republic and played for the National League team at the 2022 MLB All-Star Game. Marte even welcomed Soto to the Mets with an Instagram story earlier this week.
Having an established friendship could be beneficial since the outfield is a little crowded right now.
“His role is obviously going to change because we’ve got Juan Soto, who is going to play in right,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Thursday at Citi Field. “I had that conversation with Marte not too long ago after the news broke. He’s willing to do whatever it takes. He’s all about winning, and he’s at a point in his career that he wants to win a championship.”
The 36-year-old Marte has one year left on his four-year contract, Brandon Nimmo has left field locked down and Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor are expected to share time in center field. Without Soto, that’s a pretty solid defensive outfield. While Marte’s metrics haven’t been what they used to be over the last two years, he’s still got a strong arm and good instincts in right field.
But you don’t pay someone more than $50 million a year to have them play second-fiddle to a veteran, even if Soto doesn’t rate well defensively. Eventually, Soto could move to a full-time DH role, but that move isn’t coming anytime soon.
“I think he is probably about a league average right fielder, and we think he has the ability to get better,” said Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns. “That’s something that we actually talked to Juan about during our meetings with him, and he is very motivated to continue to improve his defense. He got better this past year and we think we can take another step.”
So for now, it sounds like it might be Marte moving to that DH role. With much of the 2025 roster still being constructed, the Mets haven’t yet decided how to use Marte. They know he prefers to play in the field every day, saying it keeps him engaged in all aspects of the game. But after two years of battling groin and knee injuries, a DH role could be easier on his body.
Maybe he knows it too, since Mendoza said he took the news well.
“Look, he’s a big part of what we’re doing here,” Mendoza said of Marte. “We’ve still got ways to go and we’re going to be very honest with him, but what he told me is, ‘I’m willing to do whatever you guys need me to do. I’m ready to go, I just want to win.’”
Soto is excited to hit behind Francisco Lindor, calling him “one of the best leadoff hitters in the game.” The top of the lineup is already shaping up to be a nightmare scenario for opposing pitchers, with Lindor, Soto, Nimmo and Mark Vientos. They all take a lot of pitches and have power. And while the Mets are still discussing a move for lineup protection — possibly Pete Alonso — Mendoza noted that protection goes both ways.
“As far as protection goes, I see it as who is hitting in front of them as well,” Mendoza said. “If the guys who are hitting in front of him are not getting on base, you know, that’s a way of protecting him, too. And we do have some really good players. So like I said, comfortable with what we have right now.”
The situation with Alonso remains fluid. A market has not yet emerged but it’s expected to soon. The Mets have been vocal about their desire to bring back the homegrown first baseman with Steve Cohen reiterating it Thursday.
“We think he’s a great Met and we’re still engaged. We hope he stays as a Met,” the owner said. “He’s entitled to go out, test his market and see what it is. Hopefully we’ll get there.”
What the roster will look like by spring training is still unknown. It’s no secret the Mets need more pitching, but they might continue to add to the lineup as well. Soto is the centerpiece, but after seeing how long the Dodgers’ lineup played in the postseason, the Mets are hoping to add more depth and Cohen is more than willing to spend to add more.