Pittsburgh Pirates: Five Potential Landing Spots for Starling Marte

If there is one thing that seems certain this offseason it’s that the Pittsburgh Pirates will likely move outfielder Starling Marte.  Who could the team try to work a deal with?

Going into the off-season it was well noted that outfielder Starling Marte could be on the trade block and even before the team moved on from the previous regime it made sense.  Marte, who just finished his last guaranteed year of control, has two option years remaining.  Furthermore, he is 31 years old and coming off a career year.  While it would be great for the Pittsburgh Pirates to keep Marte, they also have to be realistic.

With him having such a strong year and having two years of control, Ben Cherington and company could likely fetch a big-time package and return for the star outfielder.  Also, Marte does not really figure into the Pittsburgh Pirates next window of contention.  It just makes sense for Ben Cherington to start the rebuild by trading away a valuable veteran piece.

Further adding to the speculation, rumors have already started around the Pittsburgh Pirates centerfielder.  The first was a reporter that the New York Mets were very interested in Marte. Then Marte himself said in an interview in the Dominican Republic that he would be more than open to being traded to a team like the Mets or another contender.  While he didn’t blatantly ask for a trade, it did show that Marte may be ready to move on from the Pittsburgh Pirates. This makes it all the more likely that Cherington will look to get a big return for him and start building his team.  Who are some teams that could be interested in the five-tool outfielder?