During Monday night’s Home Run Derby, fans noticed how Mets outfielder Starling Marte acted as a major hype man for the eventual 2022 champion, Nationals outfielder Juan Soto.
It even seemed to some fans that Marte paid more attention to Soto than he did his own Mets teammate Pete Alonso, who didn’t advance to the finals.
Many saw Marte’s actions as a way of “recruiting” Soto, who reportedly just turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract extension with Washington on Saturday. This makes him available for a trade as the Nationals will reportedly listen to offers for the superstar outfielder. It is unclear how seriously the team would consider trading him to an NL East rival like New York.
The two are also both from the Dominican Republic, so there is a home country connection for them as well.
Twitter users noticed the interactions between the two players, and poked fun at Marte’s “recruitment.”
After the game, Marte spoke to The Athletic and laughed when asked if he said or did anything to try to sway him to come to the Mets. He said he didn’t do anything, but is aware of the rumors.
The Nationals still have a couple weeks to figure out Soto’s future for the rest of the 2022 season as MLB’s trade deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. ET.
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For more New York Mets coverage, go to Inside The Mets.
