Starling Marte trade analysis: Diamondbacks boost offense; Pirates improve farm
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The Diamondbacks continued an aggressive offseason by acquiring outfielder Starling Marte in a trade with the Pirates on Monday. They sent two prospects to Pittsburgh and international signing bonus pool money to complete the deal.
Arizona is a rare team trying to remain competitive now while expanding the promise of its farm system. The organization's wheeling and dealing since the middle of the 2019 campaign has to this point been successful on both fronts. Earlier in the offseason, the Diamondbacks signed free agent left-hander Madison Bumgarner to a multi-year contract.
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The Pirates, meanwhile, are simply trying to remove themselves from the rubble of a 93-loss season — a task made more difficult by its 2018 shipment of top prospects Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow to the Rays.
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Here's an in-depth look at what the Marte trade means for the Diamondbacks, Pirates and the rest of MLB:
What does Starling Marte's contract look like?
Marte is owed $11.5 million this year has a $12.5 million club option for 2021, meaning a strong debut campaign in Arizona would likely keep him in the desert for an additional summer.
What qualities does Starling Marte give Arizona?
Marte has been one of the most solid outfielders in baseball since breaking into the league in 2012. He hasn't parlayed elite production over his first four years into superstardom, dealing with injuries and receiving a PED suspension in recent campaigns, but he nonetheless remains an above-average hitter who poses a threat on the basepaths. Last season, Marte slashed .295/.342/.503 with 23 home runs and 25 stolen bases.
While the Diamondbacks were not necessarily desperate for outfield help, having already added Kole Calhoun this winter, Marte gives them a deeper group after the departures of Adam Jones and Jarrod Dyson. If they were pleased with the veteran presence Jones in particular gave them last year, then they should be thrilled with the steady output Marte offers.
Arizona's projected 2020 lineup now features six batters who posted an OPS+ above 100 last season.
What does the trade mean for other Diamondbacks outfielders?
Because Arizona already cleared out Jones and Dyson, there was room for Starling Marte to join the outfield. Ketel Marte will likely spend more time at second base moving forward and sometimes play center field, rotating Calhoun out of the order when the team faces left-handed pitching.
Jake Lamb could also have his playing time altered. He has exclusively been a corner infielder in his MLB career, and having Ketel Marte start in the infield more often might further cut into an already reduced role. Lamb hit 30 home runs in 2017 but has dealt with injuries since then.
It's worth noting that the NL reportedly could adopt a designated hitter in 2021, which would make excess offensive talent a bonus for the Diamondbacks.
How good are the prospects the Pirates acquired?
Pittsburgh received 19-year-old pitcher Brennan Malone and 19-year-old shortstop Liover Peguero in exchange for Marte. Malone was selected No. 33 overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, while Peguero was an international signing from the Dominican Republic.
Malone and Peguero remain early in their developments. Malone has tossed just eight pro innings in his career. Peguero has received 84 at-bats above rookie ball. But they are still considered possible high-level players in the distant future, a quality the Pirates are trying to stockpile as they dive into a rebuild.
Why did the Diamondbacks trade prospects if they're building for the future?
Arizona had an abundance of selections in last year's draft, and it gained additional prospects in the blockbuster midseason Zack Greinke trade with the Astros. This trade, then, does not change the big-picture outlook of an improved farm system, but it does boost a big league squad vying for a wild-card spot.
Does the Starling Marte deal change the NL playoff picture?
Marte, 31, is no longer the type of player to single-handedly change the course of a team's fortunes. For an Arizona group that won 85 games in 2019, though, he could be an important ingredient in a potential 90-win campaign and wild card berth.
The Diamondbacks have strong competition for one of those postseason spots: Cincinnati and San Diego are trending upward, and the NL East features at least three legitimate contenders. Based on this deal, they still seem to believe wholeheartedly in their chances of making it to October.