Marte prefers the latter, and he believes the team does too.
“If they wanted to trade me, they would’ve traded me,” Marte said. “Obviously, I’m here for a reason. If they wanted to trade me, they would’ve gotten rid of me a long time ago.”
On Saturday, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza revealed that he had already talked with Marte about his new role with the team.
Instead of starting in right field, Soto’s position, every day, he’ll be platooning at DH with Winker, who is left-handed. Marte will also come off the bench sometimes and also play right on days when Soto is the DH.
On Sunday, NJ Advance Media spoke with Marte at his locker. He was excited about his role with the team.
“You have to adapt to the way things are,” Marte told NJ Advance Media. “I have an opportunity to help the team, the younger players so they feel more comfortable, and be ready to execute whenever they put me in the game.”
Part of Marte’s willingness to accept this new role lies in how comfortable he is with the organization. Besides playing parts of eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he started his career, the Mets have been the place he’s been with the longest (going on four seasons).
It’s also where the 36-year-old sees himself finally winning a World Series.
“You always want to stay on a good team like this one,” Marte said. “On top of that, one that makes moves because the people above us want a championship just as much as we do. Imagine, everybody wants to play here right now.”
Marte is owed $20.75 million in the final year of his contract. Last season, the 36-year-old played 94 games and batted .269 with seven home runs, 40 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.
