Now with his third franchise in less than a calendar year after a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Miami Marlins, veteran outfielder Starling Marte remains someone fantasy managers can count on. Even as he enters Tuesday with a mere two home runs in 33 games and 138 plate appearances, Marte is hitting .311 with five stolen bases, and he should fit right into the middle of the Marlins' lineup. The Diamondbacks were hitting Marte third, and the Marlins figure to do the same thing.
Marte entered Monday as the No. 15 outfielder on the Player Rater and 26th in points formats, perhaps not the top-10 outfielder for fantasy so many hoped for, but a solid, reliable, five-category fantasy hitter who, truncated 2017 aside thanks to suspension, rarely fails to deliver appropriate value. The Marlins figured out early this season that Jonathan Villar was not a center fielder; they traded Villar to Toronto on Monday and Marte becomes the starter. This move does not alter Marte's already pristine fantasy value.
With Villar gone, the Marlins could use speedy, versatile Jon Berti as the regular second baseman, while Miguel Rojas continues his underrated thing at shortstop. The offense hardly lacks in corner outfielders, including Corey Dickerson and Matt Joyce from the left side. One could argue the lineup Marte leaves is stronger than the one he now moves into, but it is a negligible difference. Lewis Brinson probably loses playing time, a day after his first home run of the season, but he chances are he was not going to hit much anyway.
Arizona picks up lefty strikeout option Caleb Smith and young right-hander Humberto Mejia, but there is little indication either steps right into the rotation. Smith made one three-inning start this season before hitting the injured list due to COVID-19, so it is anyone's guess when he becomes ready to pitch again. A solid, if underrated, strikeout option, Smith, 29, has yet to aid fantasy managers in ERA or WHIP, and he struggled in recent seasons outside of the large Miami stadium. Mejia is 23, but never did pitch in Double-A or Triple-A. The Marlins needed him. The Diamondbacks can be patient.
Meanwhile in Arizona's outfield, fantasy managers can ignore Jon Jay if he is indeed the one picking up the extra plate appearances, but the club has no reason to promote a minor leaguer. Tim Locastro can steal a base, but the Diamondbacks were barely utilizing him. If that changes, Locastro could help National League-only teams starved for stolen bases, in theory. David Peralta and Kole Calhoun are corner outfielders, as is prospect Daulton Varsho.