KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals and right-handed outfielder Starling Marte agreed to a one-year deal on Saturday, according to reports.
The move gives the Royals another right-handed option for their 2026 outfield after missing out on a big splash in the free agent market.
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Marte’s role will likely be that of a platoon bat, with Isaac Collins, Kyle Isbel and Jac Caglianone expected to get the lion’s share of playing time in KC’s outfield. With KC’s lefty-heavy outfield and Manager Matt Quatraro’s preference on lefty-righty and righty/lefty matchups, the move certainly improves the depth of the Royals lineup if Marte can stay healthy.
On a similar note, it’s worth noting that the Royals expressed interest earlier in the offseason in acquiring a right-handed bat to pair and possibly platoon with left-handed Caglianone. The Royals had also expressed interest in trading for Marte specifically in years past, but never were able to get a deal done.
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Marte, a 14-year MLB veteran, began his big-league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012. He’s a two time Gold Glove Award winner in the outfield and a two-time All-Star as well. He brings a career .285 batting average to the Royals, along with 163 home runs and 667 runs batted in.
After bouncing around to other teams in the early 2020s, Marte landed on the New York Mets where he’d stay until the move to KC after an injury-plaged four-year stint in NY. Last season, Marte batted .270 with nine homers and 34 RBI in 293 at-bats.
Marte’s deal is still yet to be confirmed by the Royals, and the deal is reportedly pending a physical, which is expected to take place in the following days.
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