MLB star Starling Marte wanted the #6 so badly with his new Mets squad … his teammate, Jeff McNeil, said the outfielder gave up a pricey watch for it!
McNeil explained the trade to MLB.com writer Anthony DiComo prior to New York’s game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday … saying after he gave away his NY #6 to Marte before the year, Starling returned the favor recently by getting him a Rolex.
McNeil had worn the number since 2019, but switched to #1 after making the deal with Marte, who signed with the Mets this offseason after playing for Oakland and Miami last year.
As for if it was worth it … McNeil told DiComo, while grinning, that the watch was very nice.
No word on what the timepiece cost … but most Rolexes come with a hefty four-, five- or even 6-figure price tag.
Starling Marte continues to make things happen. A single, a stolen base (he has three on the season) and an error, then a dash home on a ball that only trickled several feet from home plate.
We used to call these Reyes Runs. Taking suggestions…
Mets 1, Giants 0, bottom one. pic.twitter.com/OFM6GIKGhP
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 19, 2022
@AnthonyDiComo
Of course, Marte signed a 4-year, $78 million contract with the Mets … so he could certainly afford it.
Trades like these happen fairly often in sports — but sometimes they can end up disastrous … you’ll recall, Clinton Portis and his former teammate Ifeanyi Ohalete got in such a dispute over payment for a jersey number back in the day that they actually ended up in civil court over it all.
Doesn’t seem the Marte/McNeil swap has any shot of reaching that point … especially ’cause both dudes are off to great starts this season in their new threads.
So … enjoy the watch, Jeff!