A veteran player is making a move to a different team.
Starling Marte has officially agreed to a major league contract with the Royals, as reported by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Details of the contract are still being finalized and haven’t been made public yet.
Marte, who is now 37, has played with the Mets for the last four years after signing a four-year deal worth $78 million that extended through the 2022 season.
Interestingly, his first year with the Mets turned out to be his standout season. He had a solid performance, batting .292 with 16 home runs, earning a spot on the National League All-Star team. But, his next three years were marred by injuries, limiting him to just 278 games and resulting in a .694 OPS.
In 2024, he was instrumental during the Mets’ playoff stretch, contributing three hits against the Brewers in the Wild Card Round, along with a crucial RBI in the final game.
Following the NL Championship Series loss to the Dodgers, he managed to rack up nine hits in 27 at-bats over six games, demonstrating his value as one of the Mets’ best hitters at that point.
In 2025, he registered an OPS+ of 111 while taking on a part-time role primarily as a designated hitter, which was the highest he’s had since 2022.
As Juan Soto mentioned in August, Marte has not just been a player, but also a vital presence in the clubhouse. He has emerged as a leader, uniting the team and energizing the atmosphere, proving to be a reliable figure whenever needed.
Now, Marte joins a Royals squad that finished with an 82-80 record, having been a wild-card entry to the playoffs last season, though they were ousted by the Yankees in the American League Division Series.
Last season, the designated hitter position was a weak spot for Kansas City, with an OPS of just .615.
