SF Giants rumors: Front office tied to Marlins OF Starling Marte

The SF Giants are “one of the key teams to watch” in trade sweepstakes for Miami Marlins outfielder Starling Marte, according to a report by Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. Marte will be a free agent at the end of the 2021 season, but the Marlins had hoped to sign him to a contract extension. However, per Mish’s reporting, the two sides were unable to come to an agreement, which will likely lead Miami’s front office to move Marte by the MLB trade deadline on July 31st.

Marte has been one of the most consistent outfielders in MLB since he debuted in 2012 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. By statistics like OPS and wRC+, which attempt to calculate the entirety of a player’s offensive production compared to league averages, Marte has only posted one below-average season at the plate over his 10-year career. Yet, at the same time, he’s rarely put together a truly exceptional campaign, a key reason why he’s only been selected to one All-Star team.

The SF Giants are rumored to be interested in Marlins OF Starling Marte.

After spending the first eight years of his career in Pittsburgh, the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Marte in a trade heading into the 2020 season. However, as the Dbacks fell further out of playoff contention last season, they opted to move on from their recent acquisition. In the middle of a playoff hunt, the Marlins parted with three players (Caleb Smith, Humberto Mejia, and Julio Frias) to bring Marte to Florida.

Marte has been as good as ever this season with the Marlins, hitting .288/.389/.447 with seven home runs and 19 stolen bases in 57 games. On the defensive side of the ball, Marte may not be the same player he was when he won back-to-back Gold Gloves in 2015-2016, but per Statcast’s Outs Above Average, he remains one of the best defensive center fielders in the league.

Center field has long been a source of problems in the Giants lineup. The emergence of Steven Duggar has helped the team mightily at that position. However, despite Duggar hitting .277/.354/.463 this season, advanced Statcast metrics are skeptical that the Clemson alum will maintain this level of production. If that’s the case, acquiring a player like Marte could help Duggar return to a fourth-outfielder role, more suited for his elite defensive capabilities but historically weak bat.

Obviously, the Giants would have to part with a package of prospects to bring Marte back to the National League West. However, making $12 million this season and set for free agency, his market is unlikely to yield the Marlins a significant return. In fact, given Miami’s focus on returning to postseason contention quickly, the Giants might be able to use more of their upper minors and MLB depth pieces to help swing a deal.

The SF Giants will have plenty of opportunities to improve their roster as the MLB trade deadline approaches. According to Craig Mish of the Miami Herald, they are rumored to be interested in Miami Marlins outfielder Starling Marte. But will they ultimately pull the trigger on a deal? Stay tuned to Around the Foghorn for the latest news and rumors.