New York Mets Continue to Be Linked to Veteran Designated Hitter in Free Agency

With one week until pitchers and catchers report to camps around baseball, the New York Mets continue to be linked to free agent slugger and World Series champion JD Martinez.

Per Mike Puma of the New York Post:

There’s been dialogue between J.D. Martinez’s camp and the Mets as spring training approaches. Proven offensive pieces are still available in a buyer’s market. If price is right, just maybe the Mets will bite.

That doesn't indicate the Mets will definitely be going after Martinez, but if Martinez gets antsy for a job, perhaps his asking price will drop. At various points of the offseason, Martinez has been connected to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays. Both of those teams have filled the role that Martinez would play, so the list of suitors has certainly shrunk, but any team in the market for offense could have a need for an accomplished hitter like Martinez.

He's also recently been connected to the Cleveland Guardians.

The 36-year-old Martinez is coming off a fantastic year for the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he hit .271 with 33 homers and 103 RBI. He put up those numbers in just 113 games and made the All-Star team again.

He's a six-time All-Star who has played for the Astros, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Red Sox and Dodgers. He starred for Detroit from 2014-2017 before being traded to Arizona at the trade deadline. Lifetime, he's a .287 hitter with 315 homers and 1,002 RBI. He helped Boston win the World Series in 2018.

Martinez played on a $10 million deal in 2023, but after a great year, it stands to reason he'd want more this time around. 

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