{"id":147676,"date":"2026-02-01T15:30:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T15:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676"},"modified":"2026-02-01T15:30:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T15:30:03","slug":"%f0%9f%9a%a8-trade-rumors-the-new-york-yankees-are-reportedly-linked-to-a-puzzling-move-for-a-former-mets-all-star-sparking-confusion-and-excitement-across-the-mlb-whats-behind-this-unexpe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8 TRADE RUMORS: The New York Yankees are reportedly linked to a puzzling move for a former Mets All-Star, sparking confusion and excitement across the MLB. What\u2019s behind this unexpected interest, and how could this former Mets star fit into the Yankees’ plans for 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"

REPORT: Yankees Linked to Puzzling Move for Former Mets All-Star<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"REPORT:<\/p>\n

The New York Yankees<\/em> seemed to have addressed their positional needs for the 2026 season with their re-signing of Cody Bellinger<\/em>, but reports suggest the team is still on the lookout for another bat, particularly in the outfield. According to Chris Kirschner<\/em> of The Athletic<\/em>, the Yankees are exploring the possibility of adding a right-handed hitter, and Starling Marte<\/em>, the former New York Mets<\/em> All-Star, has reportedly emerged as a potential target.<\/p>\n

Marte\u2019s Recent Performance and Background<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Starling Marte<\/em> has had a successful MLB career, including a couple of All-Star selections<\/em> and two Gold Glove awards<\/em>, but his recent years have seen a decline in performance. In 2025, Marte slashed .270\/.335\/.410<\/em> with nine home runs and 34 RBIs across 329 plate appearances for the Mets<\/em>. While those numbers are solid, they represent a sharp decline from his peak seasons. Marte’s 2022 All-Star appearance with the Mets was buoyed by a much stronger season, where he hit 16 homers<\/em>, drove in 63 RBIs<\/em>, and posted an OPS of .814<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Now 37 years old, Marte\u2019s bat has been inconsistent in recent years, and his defense has sharply declined. In fact, Marte<\/em> served primarily as a designated hitter<\/em> for the Mets last season, which raises the question of whether the Yankees would want to play him in the outfield at this stage of his career. His defensive struggles<\/em> could be a major factor in the team\u2019s decision-making.<\/p>\n

Why Is Marte a Target for the Yankees?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Yankees are currently set with Aaron Judge<\/em>, Trent Grisham<\/em>, and Cody Bellinger<\/em> as their starting outfielders, but the team is still reportedly seeking a right-handed bat<\/em> to add depth. This could potentially be a move to give Grisham<\/em> some rest days<\/em>, or a means to bolster the bench. But the decision to pursue Marte at this stage raises some concerns.<\/p>\n

Despite his waning defensive skills, Marte still has value with his bat. Over the course of his career, he has actually hit right-handed pitchers<\/em> better than left-handed pitchers<\/em>, posting a .785 OPS<\/em> against righties compared to a .770 OPS<\/em> against lefties. This could explain some of the Yankees’ interest in the veteran outfielder, but Marte\u2019s defensive limitations may be a concern for the team, particularly if they are looking to utilize him in a full-time role.<\/p>\n

A Possible Signal About Jasson Dominguez<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Yankees’ interest in adding another outfielder could also signal a shift in their evaluation of Jasson Dominguez<\/em>, one of the team\u2019s top prospects in recent seasons. Dominguez, who was benched towards the end of the 2025 season, struggled with his glove, and his potential as a future starter in the outfield may have diminished. Adding a veteran like Marte could signal that the Yankees are looking for a more reliable option for their outfield, particularly if Dominguez\u2019s development doesn\u2019t progress as hoped.<\/p>\n

Other Outfield Options Considered by the Yankees<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that the Yankees have expressed interest in Austin Hays<\/em>, another right-handed bat, but he recently signed with the Chicago White Sox<\/em>. Additionally, players like Randal Grichuk<\/em> and Austin Slater<\/em> have been mentioned as other possibilities for the Yankees. Both of these players could potentially offer more flexibility and dependability in the outfield compared to Marte, especially when factoring in Marte’s age and defensive decline.<\/p>\n

\"REPORT:<\/p>\n

Is This a Logical Move?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Given that Marte’s defensive abilities have been in decline and he\u2019s no longer the dynamic player he once was, pursuing him as a significant contributor on the field feels puzzling. However, with his ability to handle right-handed pitching and add some depth, the Yankees may be hoping that Marte can fill a specific role as a backup or platoon player. But the move will likely come with risks, particularly if they are counting on him for more regular playing time in the outfield.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how the Yankees approach the situation as they head into spring training. The pursuit of Marte is one of several moves they\u2019re considering to improve their roster, but whether it\u2019s the right choice remains to be seen. The addition of a player with his current skillset could bring some value, but the Yankees will need to make sure he can handle the demands of the outfield before finalizing any potential deal.<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

REPORT: Yankees Linked to Puzzling Move for Former Mets All-Star The New York Yankees seemed to have addressed their positional needs for the 2026 season with their… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":147678,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-147676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n\ud83d\udea8 TRADE RUMORS: The New York Yankees are reportedly linked to a puzzling move for a former Mets All-Star, sparking confusion and excitement across the MLB. What\u2019s behind this unexpected interest, and how could this former Mets star fit into the Yankees' plans for 2026? - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\ud83d\udea8 TRADE RUMORS: The New York Yankees are reportedly linked to a puzzling move for a former Mets All-Star, sparking confusion and excitement across the MLB. What\u2019s behind this unexpected interest, and how could this former Mets star fit into the Yankees' plans for 2026? - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"REPORT: Yankees Linked to Puzzling Move for Former Mets All-Star The New York Yankees seemed to have addressed their positional needs for the 2026 season with their...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-01T15:30:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/avtnew-12.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676\",\"name\":\"\ud83d\udea8 TRADE RUMORS: The New York Yankees are reportedly linked to a puzzling move for a former Mets All-Star, sparking confusion and excitement across the MLB. What\u2019s behind this unexpected interest, and how could this former Mets star fit into the Yankees' plans for 2026? - NEWS USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/avtnew-12.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-01T15:30:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-01T15:30:03+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/avtnew-12.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/avtnew-12.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\ud83d\udea8 TRADE RUMORS: The New York Yankees are reportedly linked to a puzzling move for a former Mets All-Star, sparking confusion and excitement across the MLB. What\u2019s behind this unexpected interest, and how could this former Mets star fit into the Yankees’ plans for 2026?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"NEWS USA\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec\",\"name\":\"MrThanh\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MrThanh\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=6\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\ud83d\udea8 TRADE RUMORS: The New York Yankees are reportedly linked to a puzzling move for a former Mets All-Star, sparking confusion and excitement across the MLB. What\u2019s behind this unexpected interest, and how could this former Mets star fit into the Yankees' plans for 2026? - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\ud83d\udea8 TRADE RUMORS: The New York Yankees are reportedly linked to a puzzling move for a former Mets All-Star, sparking confusion and excitement across the MLB. What\u2019s behind this unexpected interest, and how could this former Mets star fit into the Yankees' plans for 2026? - NEWS USA","og_description":"REPORT: Yankees Linked to Puzzling Move for Former Mets All-Star The New York Yankees seemed to have addressed their positional needs for the 2026 season with their...","og_url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676","og_site_name":"NEWS USA","article_published_time":"2026-02-01T15:30:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/avtnew-12.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"MrThanh","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MrThanh","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676","name":"\ud83d\udea8 TRADE RUMORS: The New York Yankees are reportedly linked to a puzzling move for a former Mets All-Star, sparking confusion and excitement across the MLB. What\u2019s behind this unexpected interest, and how could this former Mets star fit into the Yankees' plans for 2026? - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/avtnew-12.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-01T15:30:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-01T15:30:03+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/avtnew-12.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/avtnew-12.jpg","width":1080,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147676#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\ud83d\udea8 TRADE RUMORS: The New York Yankees are reportedly linked to a puzzling move for a former Mets All-Star, sparking confusion and excitement across the MLB. What\u2019s behind this unexpected interest, and how could this former Mets star fit into the Yankees’ plans for 2026?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/850fd1b8bcb1d322b7f0a04b3d2f18ec","name":"MrThanh","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8c8f2d90ff2a21a61a5e6bc0619622a5021fc65353885d9d7b3db1c8c7c1ca8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MrThanh"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=6"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=147676"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147679,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147676\/revisions\/147679"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/147678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=147676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=147676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=147676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}