In an effort to add outfield depth, Royals to sign Starling Marte

If I were to award the Royals a letter grade for how they conducted their offseason business to improve the outfield, I would give them a C. Yes, the outfield should be improved over what we saw the last couple of seasons. Yet it feels like they could’ve done more…acted with a little more urgency. They are the B+ student who mailed in their project.

To their credit, though, they are still trying. The latest move is the signing of veteran Starling Marte on a one-year deal, pending a physical.

Marte is 37-year-old outfielder, he was primairly a center fielder up until he joined the Mets as a free agent ahead of the 2022 season. He saw most of his action in right field in his first three seasons in New York. Last year, his most frequent position was designated hitter.

My first reaction was: How does he fit?

My second reaction was: How could he not?

I’m glad you are asking those questions as well. That’s why you’re here. So allow me to explain.

Once upon a time, Marte was a good defensive outfielder. You would expect that from a guy who played center field while he was in his prime.

“Good defense” is not how you would describe Marte’s outfield play these days.

I think his evolution as an outfielder is best illustrated by Outs Above Average from his Statcast page.

2016 — -2 OAA
2017 — 0 OAA
2018 — 8 OAA
2019 — 2 OAA
2020 — 2 OAA
2021 — 1 OAA
2022 — -1 OAA
2023 — -5 OAA
2024 — -8 OAA

I did not list his 2025 season (0 OAA) because the Mets, for the most part, wisely kept Marte off the field. He had just seven chances in 65 innings of outfield play last year. Somehow, 15 of those innings were in right field where Marte didn’t have a single chance. That was a neat trick.

The Royals have generally placed a premium on outfield defense. Of course, the Royals are bringing in the fences this year. And they have Kyle Isbel and Lane Thomas manning center field. It’s possible they can stash Marte for brief periods in one of the corners without exposing him too much. It would be very un-Royals if they allowed him to use his glove with any kind of regularity. I imagine if he were to start a game for the Royals in the outfield, Matt Quatraro would be looking to get him off the grass at first opportunity.

The Royals have been on the hunt for a right-handed bat to provide a bit of balance to their lineup or their bench. The outfield was skews a bit left-heavy with Kyle Isbel, Jac Caglianone and perhaps Michael Massey in the mix. Isaac Collins and Drew Waters are switch-hitters (both hit better from the left side) and Lane Thomas hits from the right side.

While Marte is better used as a designated hitter, the fact that he hits from the right side still gives Quatraro the options he craves when filling out the lineup card. He can get the starts when the Royals face a lefty or can be a key bat off the bench. Sometimes in the corner outfield. Sometimes at DH. Options…It’s all about the options.

Offensively, it looks like Marte still has something left in the tank. He’s been solidly average to above average with the bat recently, the 2023 season excepting. In 329 PAs last summer, Marte hit .270/.335/.410, good for a 112 wRC+. He’s never been much with power; he’s more of a gap to gap type of hitter, generally good for a handful of doubles. His calling card back in his prime was speed. Last year was the first time in his career Marte failed to record double-digits in stolen bases. Likewise, last year was the first time in his career he wasn’t a net positive in Baserunning Runs.

I understand if this signing emits Hunter Renfroe or Mark Canha vibes…a veteran right-handed hitting outfielder. Given that Royals outfielders hit a collective .225/.285/.348 with a 73 wRC+ last year…And their DH’s weren’t any better at .206/.280./.339 and a 69 wRC+, Marte brings more of a potential for an upgrade.

I’ve loved watching Marte play throughout his career. When he’s at his best, he brings a dynacism that’s a blast. He’s been one of those guys who, when he’s on the field, you can’t take your eye off of.

That’s part of the issue, though. “When he’s on the field.” Marte has missed loads of time the last several seasons. His 2022 campaign—his first with the Mets—was short-circuited in September when he broke a finger. That offseason he underwent groin surgery. The next year saw him miss time with migranes and then a groin strain. He missed almost two months in 2024 with a bone bruise on his knee. Last year, he missed time with another knee bruise. He hasn’t topped 335 at bats in a season since 2022.

The groin issues and the most recent knee problems have been impactful when it comes to Marte’s game. Time comes for everyone but when you throw injuries to the lower body…well, that can kind of accelerate the decline. At least Marte has stayed productive at the plate, despite becoming a liability on the field and no longer particularly efficient on the bases.

What Marte does give this team is another strong clubhouse presence. By all accounts, he’s been a leader wherever he goes. Given the dysfunction around the Mets—especially last season—that may not seem like a good thing, but we know that can be a difficult environment. This Royals team will have a different dynamic. It never hurts to add another good guy to the clubhouse.

Marte is projected by Steamer to hit .264/.320/.394, good for a 100 wRC+ in 195 PAs. ZiPS has him at more playing time—321 PAs—with roughly similar results at .260/.319/.380 and a 100 wRC+. While I think the Steamer projection of 195 PAs is optimal for someone of Marte’s age and recent injury history, if the Royals can manage him to keep his PAs closer to the ZiPS projection of 321, that’s probably a good thing for him and for the team.

While details of the contract aren’t known as of this writing, I envision a deal for Marte to come in around $3 million or so with some incentives for plate appearances that could tack on an additional $3 million or so. The Royals will need to make a corresponding move to get Marte on the 40-man roster. With Waters out of options and seemingly no way to get on the Opening Day roster now, I figure he’s the guy to go. Shame it didn’t work out for him in Kansas City.

The Royals have done some work this offseason upgrading their outfield with bats young (Collins) and with a bit of upside (Thomas) while banking on a breakout type of season from Jac Caglianone. It’s a better outfield than what we saw last year, but incrementally so. Marte doesn’t improve the current situation per se, but he provides a bit of depth. I’m lumping him in as an outfielder, even though I fully expect most of his time to come from the DH spot, but everything I write about the outfield can be said about the designated hitter.

I would not be surprised of Salvador Perez got the majority of DH at bats this year as rookie Carter Jensen stakes his claim to the primary catcher role, but there’s still room in that DH mix for Marte. Perez appeared in 155 games last year. He played in 158 the season prior. While he remains a marvel, it would probably be smart management to scale that time back to give Perez more time to rest and recover.

Let’s wrap today by returning back to the letter grades I opened with. While I don’t have anything against this signing and think that there is still some upside to be found if the Royals use Marte properly, it doesn’t really move the needle. Quantity (meaning options) does not always equal quality. I’ll keep my letter grade at a C. With hopes that by the end of the season there’s been a little extra credit that turns this into a solid B.