Following a bounce back year at the plate in which he hit .278 with 33 HRs, 61 runs scored, and 103 RBIs, at least half a dozen teams have expressed interest in free agent slugger J.D. Martinez.
Martinez, 36, had a down year with Boston in 2022 belting only 16 long balls, his lowest full season total since 2013, leading to a 1 year, $10M “prove it” contract with the Dodgers in 2023. Well, the Miami, FL native answered his doubters in a big way, and is now looking to cash in with what could be the final multi-year contract of his MLB career.
According to reports, at least 6 teams have contacted Martinez’s camp thus far to inquire about the slugger’s availability. Martinez, who is represented by Scott Boras, is believed to have been contacted by the Mets, Tigers, Blue Jays and Angels at this point. While the other two teams remain somewhat of a mystery, there’s been some recent chatter indicating that Arizona could be amongst the clubs seeking to fill their DH spot with a player of Martinez’s ilk.
Boston and Cleveland are two other clubs in the market for a right handed bat, but may be looking at less expensive options to fill their needs.
The consensus at the moment is that a deal doesn’t appear imminent as many of the suitors are believed to be waiting for the “price to drop” for the veteran slugger. While there are believed to be parties interested in acquiring Martinez on a 1 year deal, Boras & Co. continue to hold out for a multi-year contract, at least for the time being.
A 6x All-Star, and 3x Silver Slugger winner, Martinez brings championship experience to the table, and could be the perfect addition for a younger team to get over the hump and perhaps make a deep postseason run. But determining which version of the 2018 World Series champion one is getting (the 2022 down year, or the 2023 upswing) appears to be a stumbling block preventing both sides from putting pen to paper at the moment.
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.