Mets easing off trade pursuit of Starling Marte

Despite several days of rumors that the Mets were in talks with the Pirates in an attempt to acquire Starling Marte, reports are now coming in that a deal is highly unlikely at this point, due to the sense that Marte would not be a significant upgrade over Brandon Nimmo, who would have likely been a trade piece either in exchange for Marte or in another deal to free up the roster spot and playing time for him.

The 31-year-old right-handed center fielder is coming off a strong offensive season in which he hit .295/.342/.503, but his once-elite defense took a dive, raising questions about his future as an up-the-middle defender. He is signed through 2020 for $11.5 million with a $12.5 million team option for 2021.

Nimmo, who missed much of the 2019 season with a neck injury, bounced back from a rough start to the year to finish with a .221/.375/.407 line. Over the past three seasons, he has a .391 OBP and a 133 wRC+, and he’s under team control through the 2022 season.

The addition of Jake Marisnick earlier this offseason also helps offset Nimmo’s defensive limitations by offering a late-inning replacement in center.