Marte made his Grapefruit League debut after missing the first couple weeks of camp recovering from a right knee bone bruise. The 36-year-old veteran outfielder looked healthy motoring into second base on a second-inning double and told reporters afterwards that he’s feeling healthy heading into the regular season. The elite stolen base totals aren’t coming back at his advanced age, which limits his fantasy appeal to deeper mixed leagues as a late-round option.

It’ll be the first spring action of the season for Marte as he continues his recovery from knee soreness. The 36-year-old should get in the outfield in the coming days — although he’s not expected to spend as much time in the grass in 2025 — and is likely headed for a platoon role this summer.

The talks stalled when the Mets allegedly asked for Hunter Harvey or Angel Zerpa back, which the Royals were not willing to do. Considering that Kansas City went on to add Carlos Estevez to their bullpen, parting with Harvey for Starling Marte doesn’t seem like a crazy price. The 36-year-old Marte is not the player he once was, but he has been successful when healthy and could add another solid outfielder to a team that has been playing Jonathan India and Michael Massey in the outfield this spring. It’s worth watching to see if these two teams re-engage in discussions since Marte makes his spring debut this week.

Mendoza wouldn’t commit to whether that would be a minor-league game or a Grapefruit League contest, but either way, it’s a positive development for the 36-year-old. Marte is expected to be a platoon player for the Mets to open the 2025 campaign, and his role won’t hold much fantasy value.