Mets: The club wants Ketel Marte to replace Jeff McNeil

The New York Mets are having a rather bizarre offseason. The club has lost a significant portion of its core from recent years (Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, and Pete Alonso have all left), and the replacements aren't particularly inspiring.

Marcus Semien (who's getting on in years), Devin Williams, and Jorge Polanco (to play first base, where he's never really played), it's… strange.

And yesterday, another piece left, as Jeff McNeil was traded to the Athletics. The club had a surplus of middle infielders, and it was McNeil (who didn't seem to have a great relationship with Francisco Lindor) who got the axe.

Obviously, the Mets have no intention of stopping themselves from looking for another infielder if the opportunity presents itself. And according to Francys Romero, the club has been talking to the Diamondbacks about Ketel Marte.

Nothing less.

https://twitter.com/francysromeroFR/status/2003206208937975824

We don't know how serious the talks were, but we do know that there was talk of a deal between the two clubs. The Diamondbacks would like to have young starting pitchers for Marte, and we know the Mets have plenty of them.

There's a way for both clubs to come to an agreement.

That said, you have to wonder where the Mets intend to play Marte. Marte hasn't played any defensive position other than second base in 2025, and we know that Marcus Semien is likely to occupy that position in 2026.

Francisco Lindor, meanwhile, will be at shortstop, where Marte played a bit in 2024. There's no room there either.

The other possibility is to send Marte to center field, where he has played in the past. That said, he hasn't played a single inning at the #8 position since 2023, and that was only for three innings that year. You have to go back to 2021 to find the last year he played center field full-time.

Short of making him a designated hitter (or, at least, using him in a rotation with the other outfielders), the fit seems rather odd. But the Mets, who are losing talent at every turn, are in a position where they can't rule anything out.

Let's also remember that the Diamondbacks player wouldn't be the most valued teammate. Do the Mets really want him?

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