Starling Marte has a decision to make on his future after getting designated for assignment by the Royals.
The Kansas City Royals took a flier this past offseason when they signed veteran outfielder Starling Marte to a one-year, $1 million deal to be a depth outfielder. It is safe to say his best days are well behind him.
The Royals designated Marte for assignment on Monday in a series of roster moves, bringing his time in Kansas City likely to an end. Marte will be available on waivers, but given how he has performed it would be surprising if another club picked him up. If another team claims him, they would be on the hook for his salary.
More likely he will pass through waivers and subsequently be released by Kansas City. Marte also has the right to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A, giving him full control over what comes next.
With this decision coming, Marte faces a tough call that may ultimately be whether it is time to retire.
Prior to joining Kansas City, Marte was coming off a four-year, $78 million deal with the New York Mets that came to an end.
His time in Queens was productive yet he was clearly slowing down and struggled to stay on the field consistently. That led to him signing a one-year deal with the Royals this past winter.
Marte played in 59 games this year for Kansas City and dealt with the same health issues that have plagued him in recent seasons. When healthy though, he had arguably the worst offensive season of his career, posting a .242 batting average, .298 on-base percentage, .611 OPS, two home runs and 14 RBIs.
He totaled just seven extra-base hits with the Royals, signaling his power has essentially disappeared.
Even in his prime Marte was never a power hitter. His entire game revolved around his speed, but that trait has vanished now that he is in his late 30s.
He attempted just four stolen bases during his time in Kansas City and was caught twice. He was also not an effective defensive outfielder this year, removing the last remaining tool that had kept him relevant.
Given that Kansas City has one of the worst outfields in baseball and could not find a role for him, it is hard to imagine another organization offering him more than a minor league deal.
Whether he opts to accept one or decides to walk away from the game entirely, either choice is understandable for a player who gave everything he had to the sport for nearly two decades.
