The Cleveland Guardians need to address the outfield's woes, and free agent Starling Marte could be just the player to do that.
The Cleveland Guardians obviously need help in the outfield. But, they understandably don’t want to take away too many at-bats from their up-and-coming rookies such as Chase DeLauter and George Valera.
So, the front office needs to find someone with a strong track record, who doesn’t need to play every day, and preferably can hit left-handed pitching to add to the outfield mix.
When considering all of those requirements, one veteran free agent immediately comes to mind: Starling Marte, and he would be a perfect fit for the Guardians.
Marte Is Still Playing At A High Level
Marte is 36 years old and has certainly passed his prime, but the veteran has still been more than a serviceable player over the last few seasons.
The outfielder has spent the last four years with the New York Mets, and has a .272/.329/.405 slash line with a .734 OPS, including 37 home runs. In 2025, Marte registered a wRC+ of 112 in 98 games.
Who knows if Marte will repeat those numbers in his age-37 season, but it could be worth the risk for a Guardians outfield that needs more offensive output. His bat speed was still 72.6 mph last season, which was above average compared to the rest of MLB.
Guardians Need More Right-Handed Bats
Marte also solves one of Cleveland’s biggest roster needs, which is more right-handed bats. Right now, the Guardians don’t have many overwhelming options to face off against left-handed pitchers.
Throughout Marte’s career, he hasn’t been a strong platoon bat either way, but he’s still had success against southpaws over the last decade. In Marte’s career, he has a slashline of .279/.334/.436 against left-handed pitchers. IN 2025, the righty had a .733 OPS against
Those numbers would certainly be an improvement for the Guardians in an area they struggled in last season.
Marte Shouldn’t Take Bats Away From DeLauter, Valera
The challenge Cleveland’s front office will face this offseason when trying to improve the outfield is bringing in a free agent, and being up front that they won’t be playing every day.
The Guardians shouldn’t have this problem with Marte. The 37-year-old doesn’t need to play every day, but still provides a boost when he is on the field.