Mets $21 Million Trade Candidate Suggested As Fit For Light-Hitting Royals

Could the Royals snag a veteran bat for cheap?

Feb 22, 2021; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; The hat and glove of New York Mets starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) sits on the outfield grass during the first day of full-squad spring training workouts at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Mary Holt-Imagn Images / Mary Holt-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals have an opportunity to seize control of the American League Central in 2025.

No player in the division can hold a candle to Bobby Witt Jr.'s star power, and the Royals have arguably the best rotation in the Central as well. There's just one Achilles Heel holding them back as the season approaches.

Last season, the Royals had a bottom-five corner outfield group, and they haven't yet made a meaningful change to that group. If MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe are each starting over 100 games in 2024, there's reason for fans to be upset.

Luckily, there's still time to make a trade. And the New York Mets might be so deep that they have a corner outfield bat to unload to the Royals for a minimal return.

On Monday, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report named Mets outfielder Starling Marte as one of the most obvious remaining offseason trade candidates, while naming the Royals as a speculative fit for the two-time National League All-Star.

"As of December, the Mets were reportedly willing to eat money to facilitate a trade of Marte," Rymer wrote. "That will have to remain the case if they still want to move him, as Marte is 36 and hasn't been an impact player since 2022."

"Teams that should get in on Marte include the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers, both of whom have weak offensive outlooks in the outfield."

Marte will be 36 this season and has struggled with injuries of late, but he can still be a productive hitter. He had a 104 OPS+ in 92 games last season and is only two years removed from a 132 OPS+ in 2022, when he made his second All-Star team.

Obviously, salary is the sticking point here. Marte is owed $20.8 million in 2025, the final season of his deal, while the Royals' current projected Opening Day payroll sits at $117 million, which is already $8 million higher than the number it finished at last season, per Spotrac.

If the Mets can eat a significant portion of the salary, perhaps to better the prospect return they get from Kansas City, there could be a hypothetical deal here that works out for both sides.

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