Royals Release Starling Marte, Who Is Now a Free Agent

Kansas City has released Starling Marte, per his MLB.com transactions tracker, as reported by Charlie Wright of MLB Trade Rumors. The move follows Marte's designation for assignment earlier this week. He had the service time to reject an outright minor-league assignment, but the Royals bypassed that step entirely once he cleared waivers, making him a free agent.

The financial picture

Kansas City remains on the hook for the remaining portion of Marte's $1MM contract. Per the report, if another club picks him up, that team would only be responsible for the prorated league minimum for his time on their roster — with that amount subtracted from what the Royals owe. One thing that does not travel with him: the $1MM in bonuses Marte reportedly earned by hitting plate appearance and active-roster-day thresholds. Those incentives stay with Kansas City and would not transfer to any new employer.

How it went in Kansas City

Marte slashed .242/.298/.314 across 59 games as a part-time player for the Royals, adding two home runs and two stolen bases. The Royals leaned on him primarily against left-handed pitching — he logged 113 at-bats against southpaws versus 40 against same-handed pitching. He was better against lefties, though the gap was modest: a .630 OPS versus left-handers and a .563 mark against right-handers.

The defensive numbers were similarly uninspiring. Marte posted -2 Defensive Runs Saved over 34 outfield games, and his sprint speed ranked in the 11th percentile — the worst of his career in the Statcast era, per the report.

What's next

Marte is just a year removed from a 112 wRC+ with the Mets, so the talent floor is not a mystery. Per the report, he could draw interest as an inexpensive platoon bat — though that is precisely the role Kansas City had in mind, and it did not produce the results they were hoping for. Whether another club sees enough in the platoon split to take a flier remains to be seen.

The release is the latest in a stretch of roster activity for Kansas City, which has been reshaping its depth over the past several days.