TODAY: The Mets officially announced Martinez’s signing.
MARCH 22: Martinez has given his consent to open the 2024 season in the minors, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. He’ll spend about 10 days either in extended spring training or in Triple-A to ramp up and get at-bats before joining the big league club early in the season.
MARCH 21: The Mets are in agreement with J.D. Martinez on a one-year, $12MM contract, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (X link). The deal, which is pending a physical, has a net present value that will come in below $12MM on account of deferrals.
Andy Martino of SNY reports (on X) that the Mets will only pay $4.5MM of the salary this year. The remaining $7.5MM will be paid in $1.5MM annual installments between 2034-38. Martinez is a client of the Boras Corporation.
Martinez, 36, was the best unsigned offensive player. After signing a $10MM free agent deal with the Dodgers last offseason, he earned his sixth All-Star nod amidst a 33-homer campaign. That was his highest home run total since 2019, while his .271/.321/.572 batting line was also his best overall offensive production in four years. Martinez hadn’t been a bad hitter over the intervening three seasons, but last year’s work was a step up from the cumulative .269/.336/.469 slash he had posted in his final three seasons with the Red Sox.
Strong as that production was, it didn’t come without red flags. Martinez’s pure contact skills regressed as his profile became more dependent on power. He struck out in more than 31% of his plate appearances, the highest rate of his career. Martinez made contact on a below-average 67.5% of his swings, the first time that he whiffed on more than 30% of his cuts.
That’s not a problem so long as he continues to destroy the ball when he does make contact. Martinez certainly did that last season. More than 54% of his batted balls came off the bat at 95+ MPH. That’s his best hard contact percentage since Statcast began tracking in 2015. The huge exit velocities manifested in Martinez’s slugging production.
While the bat speed remains intact, the increase in whiffs seemed to lead to some trepidation around the league. His profile is entirely built on offense. Martinez was never a great defender, but he’s almost exclusively a designated hitter at this point. He has started one game on defense over the last two seasons, logging 12 innings in the corner outfield overall.
The lack of a position was perhaps the main reason Martinez spent much time in free agency at all. On the surface, he’d have been a reasonable candidate for a $20.325MM qualifying offer from the Dodgers. Los Angeles decided not to risk that early in an offseason in which they would (successfully) pursue Shohei Ohtani, though. Martinez doesn’t come attached to draft compensation as a result.
That kicked off four and a half months on the open market for the three-time Silver Slugger winner. The Giants reportedly made an offer in the $14-15MM range at one point this offseason, but his camp turned that down. It’s not known if San Francisco’s proposal would have included any deferrals, but the ultimate deal which Martinez accepted comes in south of that previous offer before considering the delayed payments.
For the past few weeks, his free agency has seemed to be a staring contest between his camp and the Mets. Teams like the Angels and Marlins reportedly showed late interest, but no club was more consistently tied to him than New York. Ultimately, Martinez’s ask dipped to a place where the Mets felt compelled to jump and plug him into the middle of the batting order. He’ll join Pete Alonso as a scary duo of righty power bats for opposing pitchers.
The Mets didn’t get much out of the designated hitter position a year ago. Their DH group hit .217/.309/.391 with 27 homers. They finished in the bottom third of the league in all three slash stats. Martinez should be a clear step up even if he continues to strike out at an elevated clip. New York has maintained they still expect to hang in the Wild Card mix this year despite viewing the 2025 season as the start of their next true contention window.
Part of that balancing act was figuring out how much trust to put in their young hitters, namely Brett Baty and Mark Vientos. They entered camp with Baty penciled in as the primary third baseman and Vientos set for the majority of at-bats at DH. Adding Martinez closes off the latter path to playing time. Baty and Vientos could now compete for work at third base. Baty hits left-handed, while Vientos bats from the right side. That could allow first-year skipper Carlos Mendoza to play match-ups if they’re each on the roster, although both players have an option remaining and could be sent to Triple-A without landing on waivers.
The Mets are subject to the highest luxury tax fees possible under the CBA. They’re past the $297MM mark that’s the highest penalization threshold; they’ve paid the CBT in three consecutive years. As a result, they’re charged a 110% fee on future expenditures. The deferred money reduces the net present value of Martinez’s contract, so it’s not yet clear precisely how much the Mets will owe in CBT commitments.
A one-year, $12MM deal without any deferred money would’ve come with $13.2MM in luxury taxes. RosterResource’s Jon Becker estimates that the NPV of Martinez’s deal will land just under $9MM. That’d come with a little less than $10MM in luxury obligations.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
BoOM I’m winning the FA contest
MLB teams are forever paying guys for what they did last year lol didn’t he stink with the Sox? the season before? And the season before that?
Mets would have loved .800 OPS out of DH in ‘22 & ‘23.
Let me google that for you.
no, he really didn’t
@178iq it’s in the article
*17.8iq
Thanks for correcting it
178 – I have no idea what his body odor was like during his last two years with the Sox, but I do know he put up a .829 OPS those two years which is quite good.
.847 the last three years. For $12M, it’s worth the risk.
Good on the Mets for taking a chance on this guy and good on Boras for getting this amazing deal for his client. Boras is obviously the best agent out there with his finger on the pulse of everything that is happening in MLB and is always getting the best deals.
Bullred
Not exactly taking a chance when he hit 33 dingers and batted in 103 runs
Prior to last season, his numbers had been in a free fall. Even last season he had his lowest BA since he was in Boston, he walked an all time low, and his strikes were still had his highest level in the 145-150 range. Analytics show a higher swing and miss rate, he didn’t drive the ball as much. While I still think he can be a good, solid hitter, I don’t think the .300/400/600 with 40HR is in him anymore. He wanted to be paid like he was still that guy, and he’s not.
Browns – Thank you for demonstrating how badly statistics can be misused when critical thinking is not utilized.
Fever – Just because you don’t agree with something doesn’t mean that “critical thinking” wasn’t used and that the statistics were “misused” because they prove a point that you don’t like. What do you have to offer in counter to my presentation of facts to prove that I am wrong in your opinion? Oh, nothing but an attempt to attack me. Yeah, that’s typical of people that can’t debate.
Browns – Wow did you pick the wrong guy to call out for not backing up what he writes.
Maybe you’re brand new and didn’t see my numerous prior posts on JD’s performance.
Okay I’ll take the time again to address each of your statements.
Freefall?
In 2020 they were down.
In 2021 they were way up.
In 2022 they were down.
In 2023 they were way up.
It’s not a “downward spiral” when the numbers go down and then back up each year.
Now here’s the things you wouldn’t know because you wouldn’t find this information in Fangraphs:
2020 was the shortened Covid season, and also that season MLB banned the use of in-game video which really hurt JD’s numbers because he’s always heavily relied on it.
2022 he suffered from severe back issues, try swinging a bat without moving your back.
2023 he reunited with hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc who in the past was instrumental in helping JD’s hitting.
“His lowest batting average since he was in Boston” …. what does that even mean? He was in Boston just the prior year, and his batting average was only 3 points lower. So you ignored the fact his OPS jumped 103 points but you criticize the fact his BA dropped 3 points? Seriously? Are you for real?
No, he did NOT “walk an all-time low” last year. Look at his walks for 2011, 2013 and 2014.
The swing and miss rate was addressed in the above article, and in my post which was well before yours. He chose to hit for more power rather than for a higher OBP.
Didn’t drive the ball much? How can you POSSIBLY have missed this in the above article? Do you not understand what SLG stands for? He had his highest SLG since 2018, and 3rd-highest in his entire career! Do you not understand what Hard Contact Percentage stands for?
“That’s not a problem so long as he continues to destroy the ball when he does make contact. Martinez certainly did that last season. More than 54% of his batted balls came off the bat at 95+ MPH. That’s his best hard contact percentage since Statcast began tracking in 2015. The huge exit velocities manifested in Martinez’s slugging production.”
NOBODY expects JD to hit like he did when he was in his prime 6 years ago. Hitters who aren’t on PED’s usually don’t have peak performance in their mid-30’s.
I already gave pay comps that prove DH’s with his numbers the past few years were paid more than he’s getting paid this year, look up Nelson Cruz if you need to.
That enough FACTS for you?
No, because again, you are cherry-picking your stats. I already laid out in full what his performance was since arriving in Boston. I threw out the shortened season (2020) due to small sample size. So, why are you addressing that and trying to attack me for something I never presented?
You can see the downward trend yourself in average and OBP. and SLG prior to last season, which I addressed. Even last season, only his SLG went up in his slash line. I also didn’t include his none full seasons, like you decided to include.
Your comps don’t matter, because they are not direct comparisons. Different players, different eras.
You agree with me that he’s no longer in his prime and it would be silly to think he would continue hitting like he was in his prime. Great. So why should he be paid like he’s in his prime and that he will continue to be in his prime?
Thanks for agreeing with me and proving my point. Have a great day.
His yearly numbers since he arrives in Boston:
2018: .330/.402/.629 43HR 69BB 145K
2019: .304/.382/.557 36HR 72BB 138K
2021: .286/.349/.518 28HR 55BB 150K
2022: .274/.341/.448 16HR 52BB 145K
2023: .271/.321/.572 33HR 34BB 149K
His batting average has declined each year, his OBP declined each year, and until last season, his SLG declined each year. For the most part, his walks have declined each year while his strikeouts still remain around the 145-150 number.
It seems pretty clear to me that he was selling out this past year, in a contract year, to mash homers, which led to fewer walks and more power. You are witnessing the decline of an aging slugger. Sure, he might have another good season or two, but that’s about it before he’s going to fall off because that bat speed is going to leave…unless he is going to be “blessed” like Barry Bonds was.
The other thing I look at is his doubles. He was consistently a 30-40+ doubles a year guy for a good part of his career, especially in Boston. Indicative of a guy who is driving the ball. This past season, below 30, first time since 2017, and only the second time since becoming a full time player. To me, that indicates a guy that is launching the ball instead of driving. Which might also be why he swung and missed so much last year, trying to elevate the ball.
Browns – Different era? Nelly was paid between $12M-$14M every year from 2015-2022 and he wasn’t nearly as good as JDM. Now you are saying 2022 is a “different era”? Seriously?
Even still, MLB salaries ALWAYS go up each year. The fact JD’s went down despite a great year is a huge L for Boras.
He should be paid according to his expected production, which is almost always based on most recent production. Find a pure DH who signed as a free agent and is making as little or less than JDM, good luck with that.
Look I don’t usually defend players this strongly, but you seem to hate him for some reason and no matter what that reason is, whether it’s his ethnicity or his time with the Red Sox or whatever, it’s not right. At least try to make some sense next time, and learn about the player instead of just throwing nonsensical stuff out there. He is one of the most professional, popular and respected players in the game. There is no ethical reason for you to hate him so much.
I don’t hate or hate on anyone. I merely post the truth.
Players do not always get raises all the time. Especially older players that are showing signs of decline.
Nelson Cruz had a $1 million contract in 2023. That was after making $15 million in 2022. Why the Nationals decided to pay him that much is anyone’s guess, but it didn’t turn out too well for them. Just goes to show you, just because one lemming jumps off a cliff, doesn’t mean you should, too.
He had one bad season with the Red Sox and rebounded the next year.
lamars – And that one bad season was 2020 Covid, which doesn’t count.
.178iq
@Fraham: But does anybody other than you actually care?
Competitive move.
Sleeping Tigers
I did not see that coming.
Neither did Steve Adams.
Great news. Awesome
JVM, a record that will never be broken.
rip vientos
I don’t know about that. His bat has been good this spring. Besides, both he and Baty have options. They aren’t going anywhere.
Vientos is 24 and has nothing more to prove at AAA. If he isn’t getting regular AB’s on the Majors he should be moved. He deserves a full time opportunity to prove his worth. To keep him sitting in AAA for another year or two is foolish.
I have seen nothing indicating he deserves to be handed a full time job
Ryan Howard was in AAA until what 26? Lol I think vientos isn’t even in the same book
That’s got nothing to do with Vientos. He was blocked by Thome or he could have been up earlier. Just as Utley was blocked by Polanco.
@KennyF’nPowers No it isn’t—not if Vientos simply isn’t ready.
He failed in half a season, with 2023 his second year with time in the majors, and he was very poor.
He may need to speed up his game, and it’s possible he can’t. A lot of guys can’t. Or he may need a couple more years to make the transition. That’s not unusual.
Remember he was with the organization in its full panoply of incompetence including all the way through the end of 2023. He may well have made it through AAA simply from untutored talent, and that just isn’t enough to survive in the majors.
Vientos and Baty are almost starting from scratch, in one of the worst run organizations in baseball. We’ll see if Stearns sorts it out. Presumably he will, but for the current minor leaguers the new regime only began as of Spring Training. Another year, at least, ofr Vientos and perhaps Baty shouldn’t surprise us.
Lol
Lol so many dummies so little time
So puzzling. They want to see what the kids have but… Would have been better to move Vientos at the 2022 trade deadline for a real bat instead of Davis for Darin freaking Ruf.
How is it puzzling. Vientos so far looks like an AAAA player, fans just get too caught up in hype. He prove himself at AAA some more with no harm to anyone
The Mets have made middling moves in the name of giving the youth a chance. It is puzzling because they could have made more competitive moves if they weren’t committed to the youth.
Maybe they will be okay, but I think they are still behind the Giants, Dbacks, and Phillies for wild card spots.
I dont think that’s what they were doing. Maybe that was how it was sold to some people or presented by some media but I don’t think the goal this season was to let vientos play
I think it’s a combination. Martinez may provide protection for Alonso allowing them to extend an otherwise impressive lineup. Unlikely given the lack of SP depth so a short term deal we can sell at the deadline and buy a better return like last year. Meanwhile Vientos gets consistent playing time at 1b/3b as a depth piece with options available in case of injury. Does not deviate from the longer term plan.
Otherwise impressive? Not so much. I guess when compared to their awful pitching staff.
It sure does deviate from the plan. The ABs given to JD will be taken from both Baty and Vientos unless one is not sent to AAA. It’s a disservice to both. And sending one to AAA is certainly a deviation from the plan.
Lots of players look like AAAA players based on their first few hundred at bats in the majors. Mike Schmidt hit 196 in his first partial season, then became the greatest third baseman ever. Vientos and Baty both deserve more time, especially given that the Mets aren’t really competing this year.
Baty deserves the time. Vientos is the odd man out for now. It’s still a depth play. Vientos has options and what if one of Baty, Alonso or Martinez get hurt he’s the first man up. What I don’t want to see is him or Baty languishing on the bench in the majors. If the Mets are not in contention he’ll get plenty of playing time when they trade JD and Alonso at the deadline along with the pipeline they built last deadline.
And even more guys aren’t Mike Schmidt
Agreed. As a long time fan and studentnofnthe game. Baty gets the time vientos can prove it to the world elsewhere
Huge Upgrade Over Voglesnax
Ruf is the Stuff.
Boooooooooooooooo
What’s with the deferred payments on a one year $12M contract?
nuke – It’s all about appearance.
Without the deferral, he took a pay cut despite a much better 2023 season.
With the deferral, it looks like he got a pay increase.
Guess which one makes Boras look better.
@Fever JD decides if he wants deferred $ or not, not Boras….
Tigers – You must have missed it, I recently posted a quote from JD in which he stated he was leaving contract decisions up to Boras.
Sure JD can always go against the recommendations of Boras, but players generally don’t hire agents (and pay them huge commissions) to ignore their advice.
@Tigers3232 Correct. ‘Leaving it to your agent’ IS YOUR DECISION.
Tigers3232
Lol , its comical when you post stuff. I don’t think you do it on purpose which makes it even more funny. Keep on entertaining us, your very much appreciated.
@Fever I actually posted a link replying to that which highlighted that entire interview, not just one sentence and trying to paint a narrative.
@Bullred way to show the maturity of a 12 year old while adding absolutely nothing of substance to the conversation.
I for one appreciate when they post something that makes the Mute button smile.
Tigers – Sorry I never do the Email Notification thing with comments, so I don’t always see responses to my posts.
It’s been a while since I read that entire interview, but if I recall correctly he was referring to whether or not to opt out back in 2020 or so.
I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but my point stands. Agents recommend whether or not to accept offers, and players often go by their agent’s recommendations. Of course sometimes there are extenuating circumstances, such as perhaps JD not wanting to play in SF.
But the bottom line is you hire an agent to negotiate and advise. If you ever purchase a home someday you’ll understand what I’m talking about.
BTW I also posted some players such as Kenny Rogers had Boras as an agent and dumped him, in fact Kenny decided to act as his own agent. I can understand the motivation.
@Fever I have a home and every home I purchased I in no way had the realtor advise me on which home I wanted to put an offer on. If I recall one of sthe times ha had mentioned tweaking offer.
Yes one hires an agent to negotiate and advise. That does not change the fact that the player ultimately makes the final decision.
He knows this is his last year – this is a tax move – making $1.5 million per year during retirement.
On the other hand this is a terrible deal for the Mets – with the $10 million tax they are paying $20 million present value for a DH that will hit 250 and be lucky to get to 800 ops.
tuck – Unless he suffers a serious injury, there is zero chance this is his last year.
Because of the deferrals it is only a $10M hit for the CBT not $20.
@tuck 2 This kind of money is irrelevant to Cohen. His fortune is four times larger than that of the next richest owner. Against the average expenditure this is like, say, St. Louis spending $900k on a pretty fair DH.
This offseason and even this trivial signing is all about Cohen’s ego. The point of it all is to keep him from being embarrassed yet again. 2021 was catastrophic. 2022 was failure written the offseason prior. 2023 was the jester’s cap and bells—the oldest rotation in baseball, doomed from the moment battlements rose into view.
This offseason was the growl of a limping dog nursing its wounded hindquarters while, really, fearing the stamping of yet another boot.
Houser, Manaea, Bader? It all must be a lie!
So you don’t like Cohen and relish in his failures I hear? Ego or not, he’s keeping his team competitive and that’s an owner I can confidently get behind of if I’m a Mets fan.
One of those moves that makes sense and needed to happen a long time ago.
Actually, it just needed to happen before opening day. He wouldn’t play in any more games had they signed him in December.
He’s probably going to extended spring training now, so technically yeah he will miss games from signing so late.
Unless, of course, he doesn’t, as he is projected to be in the opening day lineup.
He’s a DH…. he can train in a batting cage at Funworks.
pogo – That didn’t age well. Haha!
It’s been said many times many places, but worth saying again …. nothing is quite as challenging or beneficial as playing in professional games.
He’s projected to be in AAA on opening day. That’s been confirmed.
Y E S !!
Wrong network
traded to the dodgers at the deadline when Ohtani gets banned for life
LOL. MLB could have been behind the cover-up for all we know. The sport needs him.
guggenheim, draftkings, and rob manfred vs. the fbi and irs
I did not have that on my 2024 bingo card
I’m having a really hard time with betting ruining sports. Baseball needs to avoid looking like “the shield” the NFL is more and more everyday looking fake and controlled by the Kabal
“Ohtani gets banned”….”Make sure you always have a fall-guy..You know a guy that will go to jail for you” – Former NFL wide receiver and sports commentator Chris Carter.
Oliver north.
but who will watch the watchmen?
@cadagan ….I do not recollect.
As much as how despicable the Ohtani situation is, the MLB is gonna give him the Mickey Mantle/Willie Mays treatment. (Both Mantle and Mays were temporarily permanently banned because of their appearances in casinos)
Clo – That’s interesting about Mick and Willie, but MLB won’t even go that far. I predict zero punishment for Ohtani.
Our culture celebrates lawlessness now so I would guess you are right
Which is why the asked for the probe. So it looks like the are cooperating through “the process” when really they are looking at clouds and deciding what to wear at the World Series after the owners shake hands.
Manfred’s phone is ringing, and he doesn’t want to answer it. “This is Rob.” the voice on the other end simply says, “Make it go away, Rob.”………click
MLB’s current statement release is that Ohtani is *not* the center of any MLB investigation at this time….. lol.
“Who shot Roger?”
“New guy shot Roger”
– Training Day
“After this commercial break by Betway, who reminds you to ‘bet the responsible way’, we’ll check the DraftKings line on whether Ohtani gets any punishment or not”
Wanna bet?
Subtle and powerful lol
NL good
A lot of talent came to the NL this offseason and not much went the other way. Soto being the exception.
He was in the NL last season. Duh
It seems he meant talent leaving the NL as opposed to joining the NL.
Also, Corbin Burnes is in the elite tier of MLB SP.
Good deal.
Wow, Boras & clients are really falling short of their desired mark. Good pickup by the Mets though. JDM can hit fo sho.
Did they ever say exactly what he was looking for? I saw with all of the rest of his clients, They were wanting huge contracts but I don’t know if I ever saw anything for j. D.
I’m not sure of the total, but he {rejected} a 1-year, $14MM contract from the Giants in February, according to SI.
Clip – JDM is making less than he made last year, despite coming off a season in which his OPS went up 103 points.
Yet another big “L” for Boras.
He was worried they would platoon the DH spot. New manager but same old Giants right? Not this year. Feels different. And now I’m liking the Soler deal more and more. I would love to hear the details. I bet he didn’t even know he rejected it until Soler was signed
2×20 is what I saw reported
Plan for the future or not, they really needed a bat like this.
Satisfied Mets fan here. Needed a #5 bat behind Alonso.
He should bat ahead of him
they should have a lefty between Alonso and Martinez
Finally after all these years Pete has protection..for 1 year lol he’s gonna have a monster walk year
I bet it’s Nimmo, Lindor, Pete, JD Martinez, McNeil, Alvarez, Marte, Baty, Bader.
Swapping McNeil/Alvarez based on pitching matchup.
This and Montgomery would have been the way to go but I’ll take 1 out of 2. Nice lil pick up.
Agreed, now sign Monty. Mets are going to be sneaky good this year (along with the Padres)
They won’t be good in any fashion, sneaky or otherwise.
Just remember, because of the tax bracket the Mets are in, Martinez is costing $24 mil. Montgomery, or anyone else, for that matter, will cost double what they sign for. Great move by the MLBPA agreeing to this.
Nope ….signed for 4.5 million this year, deferred 1.5mn a year from 2034 to 2038
The deferred money will still count this year just at a lower rate
So you think a young pitcher is going to settle for one year, and deferred money? OK. I don’t see that. But that 4.5 mil Martinez is getting this year is a 10 mil cost to the Mets because of the tax bracket they are in. The point is that any more money they spend THIS YEAR is taxed at 110%. That is why so much of Martinez’ money is deferred.
Actually the tax bill will be around $10M because the figure for the present day value of the entire deal including deferrals is around $9M.
How’s that calculation work?
Ray – The writers here actually do a really good job of explaining things in their articles.
The contract is actually worth a little less than $9M.
The Mets CBT situation is the same as the Yankees. This is their third consecutive season over the tax threshold and they are above the highest threshold, so it’s 110% tax on the $9M which means this signing will cost the Mets a little less than $19M total.
My point was that the 8 million in 10 years is much more like 4 million if he is lucky so the net present value is likely very miscalculated
I was not talking about the luxury tax at all
Ray – Understood.
You are correct about the $7.5M paid starting 10 years from now, it’s actually worth a little less than $4.5M. That’s why the total contract is valued at a little less than $9M.
$4.5M now + $4.5M later.
Boras is the best agent ever!
Nobody forced Mets to put themselves in this situation.
Nobody placed blame either, but you seemed to want to talk about it. This was a statement of fact. It is a fact that any money the Mets spend, that is attributable to this years payroll, is taxed at 110%. Yes, they did it to themselves. Yes they had a plan that didn’t work out the last couple of years. But they had the same record as the Braves in 2022, and won the same amount of post season games as well.
Blaming the Mets for being irresponsible with their spending? Yeah Mets have themselves to blame for that one and why they’re in the mess they are in.
We don’t get angry at laws that say it’s illegal to steal. We get angry at the people stealing.
I’m not angry at the Mets for spending. Why would I be? I don’t understand why you even made the comment. They weren’t irresponsible. They were trying to win now, and build the farm in time. When winning now didn’t happen in the second year, they traded players for prospects. They basically rebuilt their farm system with the trades they made. Their AA team went from being under .500 before the trades to making the finals after. They shifted the timeline, and are actually all the better for it. So no one has any reason for blame. We have a bright future coming very quickly.
People either don’t know or are jealous cohen is ok with spending much more than most owners
He makes $1-2 billion a year doing his day job.
Monty is on his own now
Clevinger says hi!
Johnny Cueto Facetimes Greinke to have a cry.
I’m sure that’s echoing in your empty head, STYMEEDONE! Time to take your meds, you’re hearing voices again!
I’m pretty sure Bartolo Colon is still pitching somewhere, in an undisclosed location, of course… and he can be had for the right price.
Bart formally retired as a Met last August on a one-day contract.
Livan Hernandez vs Bartolo Colon. Both will throw 150 pitches at 50 years old
Lengthens the lineup. Protects Alonso. NYM fans now looking at a middle order of Lindor-Alonso-Martinez-Alvarez.. Better.
This seems like a very predictable move since January. WTF took so long
He wanted too much money.
Much
Pretty predictable once they said he was talking to the Mets. Don’t think any other team was really in the market
Should have taken the Giants offer
Why is that? Home games in SF would have had a negative impact on hist stats, lowering his future value. And he may very well just dislike the city.
Truly hilarious! Everything you say. Keep it up!
@Bullred Way to add absolutely nothing of value to the discussion yet making sure you do not exceed the maturity of a middle school student….
Yeah bullred please listen to tigers… We need more big brain comments here like “And he may very well just dislike the city”
@Mets way to cherry pick portions of a comment. Can you say with certainty that he like or dislikes SF? He chose to decline playing there we know that, so it by all means is a possibility.
What is by all means a reality though is that playing home games in SF can suppress offense and for an aging Slugger such as JD it would be a detriment to his future value. As for Mets, I think it’s a pretty ideal situation for both. He bolsters top of lineup and hitting amongst like of Alonso, Lindor, Nimmo, Marte, McNeil he should see decent pitches and help bolster his production.
If you believe the article…. he didn’t reject the offer all. Boras did.
Tigers.
He specifically said ballpark was the reason.
I said it was likely a factor. Again you hone in one portion of a comment as a whole. Why don’t you try contributing something of value to the discussion? Are you capable of that??
Tigers it wasn’t a factor at all. Why would you think it would be? Because of propaganda? Can’t you just admit when you’re wrong?
JD Martinez cleared the air on why he didn’t sign with SF, citing the ballpark, not the city, as the reason why. Even though SF offered more money. Rather ironic, considering that his career numbers are worse in Citi field, than Oracle park.
I’d say if he played 81 Home games at Oracle the law of averages would quickly change that. At his he’d likely have cost himself much more than the $2M difference in contracts by losing future AAV.
Mets seem like better fit for him to produce. If Baty starts to develop, a healthy Quintana, and/or a bit of a resurgence from Severino and Mets could be dangerous. They have the core of the team that won 101 games in 2022. Key part would be replacing the 34 combined starts from Scherzer and deGrom.
I don’t see the Mets as a better place to produce, considering his abysmal numbers in that stadium
J.D. Martinez might have the best deal of the off season in terms of what he was worth, what his market looked like and what he wound up with.
Arguably a bigger bargain that even Lorenzen yesterday. I imagine the signings over the past couple weeks have Montgomery and Boras chugging Pepto Bismol right about now.
JD Martinez cleared the air on why he didn’t sign with SF, citing the ballpark, not the city, as the reason why. Even though SF offered more money. Rather ironic, considering that his career numbers are worse in Citi field, than Oracle park.
Needed a DH. No one this spring proved to be up for the job. Vientos will go back to minors for now. If Baty can keep hitting otherwise Vientos will get the chance. Shows Steve still wants to compete this year.
Who bet on JD to the Mets?
Ohtani.
Nah, he only places losing bets.
Well he would have been betting on a losing team so maybe it was a reverse psychology bet
“I just can’t catch a break” – Luke Voit
Terrible showcase for him this spring. Didn’t help his own cause.
“I just can’t catch up to the fast ball”. Luke Voit
rjtfci – Hey hey hey …. let’s show some respect for the former MLB Homerun Champion!
Oh wait a minute …. that was 2020.
Nevermind.
Voit did t open his shirt enough and show his guns. What a creep.
That had to do it to protect Pete and prove to Pete, the team and the fans that ownership wants to compete. I’m sorry but I didn’t want to sit through a Vientos/Baty DH platoon. JD is a proven run producer and All Star. LGM.
20% raise from last year, according to above
With the deferred payments 10 years out it’s prob no much of an increase
Yeah, it’s the equivalent of about 9 to 9.5 million I think in today’s money. A slight decrease from last year but still a good payday.
People are down on JD because of WAR largely but this is too cheap for a player who can bolster a lineup like he can. Value is relative to a team. To a team that needs the thump he is well worth 16m or so, at least. There is a certain negative quality to a pure DH in that they take up the spot and others can’t “rest” at DH. But I doubt he’ll get 500 AB anyway. At the least a DH never hurts you on defense.
I guess he probably will have 500 AB looking at his past. I was looking at last season. But depends on what Mets wanna do
The guy is an aging slugger with no position. He is already showing signs that he’s running out of gas with the massive swing and miss rate. Age is not on his side, and father time always wins. It isn’t about what you’ve done, it is about what you can do now. There is a reason why teams stayed away and didn’t come knocking until his price came down.
Reason is the economy is crud and DH is the easiest position to fill
What economy is crud?
Honestly I see no sign of regression unless one is looking hard for it and when you look hard enough you generally find what you want to find. He was on pace for over 40 HR with all around good stats. It’s a one year deal. Any other time people would pay up for a one year commitment. Father time always wins in the end but he’s not near 40 years old. He’s the type of player who could be good til his 40s. A smart hitter who is quite gifted who doesn’t have to field. The age thing is all about averages. Well on average a one year deal is your best bet in free agency.
No reason to think Martinez won’t hit
No reason to think marte won’t either so long as he can stay healthy
This article about his signing already points to it. And since you don’t work for a front office that is in charge of spending multiple millions of dollars, it doesn’t really matter what you think you see or not. All of baseball apparently saw something.
He’s 36, well past prime and closer to 40 than 30. Last year was his first good year after 3 years of below par performance by his own standards.
And no he’s not. He is a big body power slugger. Power comes from bat speed, and he’s swinging and missing more now than ever. In a free agent year, seems like he was going all out to mash in order to increase his payday.
So, it was smart for a team to get a short term deal for less than he was asking because you never want to pay a guy when its a year too late, to a long term, big money deal.
@Browns Are you aware that his 2021 #s were better than last years? He also overall had decent #s in 2022 just less HRs and less RBIs which can be partially attributed to the lineup he was in. He did hit for higher avg, walked more, and had nearly twice as many doubles.
So in short no his only real down year was the shortened 2020 season. And BTW he was also an All Star the last 3 seasons….
This is what I am aware of. I will exclude the outlier shortened season and give you his yearly numbers since he arrives in Boston:
2018: .330/.402/.629 43HR 69BB 145K
2019: .304/.382/.557 36HR 72BB 138K
2021: .286/.349/.518 28HR 55BB 150K
2022: .274/.341/.448 16HR 52BB 145K
2023: .271/.321/.572 33HR 34BB 149K
I don’t care about all star games, they are popularity contests and don’t mean a thing. His batting average has declined each year, his OBP declined each year, and until last season, his SLG declined each year. For the most part, his walks have declined each year while his strikeouts still remain around the 145-150 number.
It seems pretty clear to me that he was selling out this past year, in a contract year, to mash homers, which led to fewer walks and more power. You are witnessing the decline of an aging slugger. Sure, he might have another good season or two, but that’s about it before he’s going to fall off because that bat speed is going to leave…unless he is going to be “blessed” like Barry Bonds was.
The other thing I look at at his doubles. He was consistently a 30-40+ doubles a year guy for a good part of his career, especially in Boston. Indicative of a guy who is driving the ball. This past season, below 30, first time since 2017, and only the second time since becoming a full time player. To me, that indicates a guy that is launching the ball instead of driving. Which might also be why he swung and missed so much last year, trying to elevate the ball.
I could be wrong, but, history is on my side, and the numbers are trending down.
Fenway is a doubles park for RHH.
He was hitting lots of doubles before he got to Fenway.
@Browns look at the rest of his stats such as doubles. He led MLB in doubles with 42 in 2021 and then had 43 in 2022. His HRs might have dipped a bit but he still was producing.
Now I can’t argue he’s getting older and father time is ultimately going to win. Also can’t argue that him being pretty much a pure DH at this point hurts his value. The guy can still produce at the plate though.
I for one am not a fan of pure DHs, I think DH spot for many teams would be best utilized giving rest from field while keeping valuable bats in lineup. However, with Mets I think they needed the extra bat and he’s a good fit and helps protect other bats in top of lineup. I also think Mets should try him at 1B here and there so he can provide rest for Alonso and Alonso can DH on occasion.
I’m honestly wondering if something more is going on here. If teams don’t like how these players are handling free agency and have collectively “agreed” to do something about it. It’s not just the money it’s that its also deferred and it’s not just JDs deal but many. Teams stand a lot to lose with the uncertainty of the market with players not signing til the season or right before it
There may be some wink wink collusion. The minor league deals have been striking to me. But I think moreso these are very successful business men who see that America is teetering on the edge and playing it carefully.
Baseball games are super expensive. Covid has left many jaded to pasttimes. And the middle class is being hollowed out. The fed won’t clarify inflation or deflation. The owners are smart
It is called being an old DH.
Enjoy
Designated hitter Edgar Martinez signed a contract extension for next season, with an option for the following year, the Seattle Mariners said Wednesday.
The contract is worth a minimum $5.9 million for Martinez, 36. Last season, Martinez was paid $3.5 million.
The two-time AL batting champion has led the Mariners in batting six times, including the past three years.
1999
And what does this have to do with the price of eggs in China?
You aren’t very smart are you lol
The part about pastimes and inflation is not a big deal to me in terms of contracts because just last off-season the contracts were huge. Perhaps, also, they didn’t want to continue that trend this off-season and wanted a bit of a reset. It doesn’t even have to be a handshake agreement in that case because it’s in all their best long term interests for those salaries to not increase further.
It might not matter to you but it adds unknowables into the environment. The economy is on very shaky ground and you don’t want to commit to salaries that won’t be affordable if the middle class continues getting hollowed out. Collusion will land them in a world of hurt. Much more likely they are gauging the economy.
What happens if civil war breaks out? As a for instance.
But my point is anyone savvy at all in economics/etc could have easily known all that about the economy for at least several years now. So why the huge deals last year? I mean did they think all that money being inserted into the money supply after covid wasn’t gonna effect the economy? All the businesses lost? I get that recent events have occured too (Wars that certainly aren’t proxy wars between the worlds biggest military powers and to protect their interests) for example. And civil unrest.
Successful business men tend towards optimism as it helpswith success during a 40-240 year expansion cycle. I would guess pessimism is becoming more obvious to them as the end of it draws near.
But I could be wrong, it could be straight collusion. I tend to not take cabal stance on world affairs but a diverse lobby of special interests
Fair enough. Perhaps they believe if they and those like them keep spending as usual the economy can’t fall.
To be honest I suspected it would happen last off-season. It didn’t so much tho. But bezos Dimon the Waltons etc are all selling their shares recently. Those in the know probably can ride the roller coaster longer. It seems to me the wealthy are getting off the ride now as opposed to then tho
I am extremely smart. You are bringing up Edgar Martinez ages ago into a discussion about JD Martinez today. It is irrelevant for many reasons. Edgar was a completely different hitter than JD, and that was a different market.
So, again, what does that have to do with the price of eggs in China?
I see you didn’t defend your point, you just went on a personal attack. Typical.
Lol you are very smart. I’ve known many very smart people in my life, none of them ever felt the need to say ‘I am very smart’
You are not or you would get it
I get that you are making an apples to oranges comparison of two completely different hitters in two completely different eras.
I don’t care what your opinion is on my intelligence. I am very smart. You don’t get a PhD and a Masters in the fields that I have if you’re not intelligent. Again, I see you making personal attacks instead of actually making a point. If you had an actual point, you’d make it instead of going ad hominem.
I rest my case.
Thank you for that. I have no desire to explain it to u
America is teetering on the edge? mate, leave the economy to real economists. If America is teetering the whole world fell off the cliff.
hahahaha 1999? you never heard of PEDs extending careers ( Bonds Clemens)? you’re a joke man.
Teams have learned. For one thing they pay by WAR. The fans and players might not like it, but WAR/salary makes sense.
The economy on shaky ground? civil war? dude, take your politics some place else.
The Q has penetrated your tin foil hat mate.
Browns – I hafta admit, I am saddened by your position on JD.
First of all, every player is aging. If they weren’t aging, that would mean they are dead.
Second of all, last year he improved his OPS by 103 points. You call that “running out of gas”? Absolutely ridiculous.
Massive swing and miss rate? So sad you don’t even realize many of the game’s best sluggers also have sky high strikeout rates.
You know why?
BECAUSE SWINGING FOR DOUBLES, TRIPLES AND HOMERUNS USUALLY LEADS TO MORE STRIKEOUTS.
Sorry but when people who claim to be baseball fans don’t even realize the most basic of baseball facts, it proves they follow the stats not the game.
BTW – Nelson Cruz, who was a freakin’ DH, made between $12M-$14M in every freakin’ season between Age 36 – Age 41. So CLEARLY you don’t understand the market for a DH like JD.
Yeah there’s a reason why teams stayed away from JD so long this offseason …. SCOTT BORAS MESSED UP BIG TIME. There’s your reason.
Read the numbers. Read the analysis.
You don’t refer to a 21 year old turning 22 as “aging” when it comes to baseball. You call a person over 35 and approaching 40, “aging” in baseball.
Walks down, swing and miss rate up, batting average, obp down. doubles down.
Nelson Cruz different market, different time.
Yeah, I do understand the market for a DH this year, this time. You can’t compare two different eras to each other.
Yeah, there is a reason why people didn’t sign him. He wanted too much money. Boom. The market wasn’t there for him, for the reasons I stated in this thread. It doesn’t really matter what you say, because it seems that MLB agrees with me. So there’s that. Have a great day.
Didn’t see this coming or expect it. I really thought that they were going to give Vientos a shot at it, plus his bat has finally been coming alive in ST.
For those that are asking why it’s taken so long, it’s because the Mets were waiting for his price to come down given that they’re paying an additional $13.2 million competitive balance tax if it is actually a $12 million total salary. The “rumor” was that JD was asking for 2 years. Stearns was true to his word, he had said that if prices came down they would make a move if it made sense for them.
I think that it’s a good move for them, and if the wheels come off this season because the pitching doesn’t hold up, they can flip him at the deadline for more prospects. This gives Alonso and/or Alvarez the protection that they need at 5 or 6 in the lineup.
LGM!
Atty – There is no doubt JD was looking for more than a 1 year contract earlier in the offseason, considering the great season he had in 2023.
One thing to add, JD is the perfect guy to have on your team when there’s a bunch of young hitters that could use a mentor. He has a great track record of helping teammates, and was a tremendous positive influence on Mookie and several other Red Sox players.
@Fever Pitch Guy Yes, the upside of this is that the Mets give Vientos the last spot on the bench and work him in to games where possible.
He’s got a great bat, and until this year hasn’t had much in the way of serious, competent instruction—at the plate and especially not in the field.
Imagine Vientos and Baty and Mauricio in the Braves system instead. We’d probably be looking at very different players.
This puts mets over the top. World champs no doubt about it!
Naw. Will only be 10 back in September now
People forget very shortly ago mets spent nearly 2 years with the most or nearly most days in first place. Forget the exact stats and dates but Mets are very much a competitive team whether you hate Cohen and NY or orange and blue or not
i guess people ALSO forget that after spending most days in first place they blew the division with a week to go and then got embarrassed by an 80 win padre tm
anyway its a different mets squad. alotta young talent mixed with alotta useless vets that stearns signed for some bizarre reason. another year in hell for mets. another yr in hell for mets fans.
Hardly. 1 winner every year. Children want to make it epic struggle of good vs evil
@johnny
i wouldnt say useless vets. But i would say vets trying to play for their next contract which usually gives more incentive on their end. This is supposed to be a competitive year and bring up the youngins throughout the year and see what they can do. The vets they brought in are probably going to be trade fodder middle of the season unless a lot of lightnings in a bottle happen. They also want to show even when they are stepping back they are still trying to be competitive with this signing to entice other free agents to come.
What happened last season and the season before dont matter or you would see the braves blowing up their team even after easily winning the division both seasons just so they could beat the phillies that swept them out of the playoffs last year and beat em in the playoffs the year before.
@roll
entice other FAs? hellllll no. the only smart thing mets did this offseason was NOT sign ohtani and yamamoto for a billion $. 1 turned out to be a degenerate gambler, the other couldnt make it out of the 1st inning. stop signing FAs to bloated contracts. just focus on the talented farm for once!!! they spent hundreds of million for these prospects!!!
vets will only be trade fodder if they actually do well. but 2024 was supposed to be year of the prospect for mets. give the young guys the whole season to see what they can do. instead you’ll see wendle and JD and bader taking at bats away. stearns was supposed to save this franchise, instead he’s made some very questionable moves in his 1st year.
and whose idea was it to hire this nothing nobody 1st time manager no one ever heard of? are you serious? this franchise is a freak show. hire beltran to manage!
If they were confident in vientos they wouldn’t have bothered with Martinez. Vientos just doesn’t look that great and sacrificing a season when u can just put him in triple a would be silly
Johnny – You have a point on Beltran.
After all, he’s the only manager in Mets history to never lose a regular season or postseason game.
@johnny
“and whose idea was it to hire this nothing nobody 1st time manager no one ever heard of? are you serious? this franchise is a freak show. hire beltran to manage!”
he was the bench coach for the last 4 year on a team that did not have a losing record in a major city. How much managerial/coaching experience does beltran have? I dont think he has even been a minor league 1st base coach. Beltran i think will be a good manager but because he was hired and resigned (yes i know) without managing a game i thnk he needs a year somewhere else or atleast a coach spot to not get that spot light on him on a rebuild year..
“stop signing FAs to bloated contracts. just focus on the talented farm for once!!! they spent hundreds of million for these prospects!!!”
and who is the pitcher of these prospects. The only current player that is blocked from a free agent signing is maybe vientos but even then if mauricio did not get hurt vientos was at best going to platoon dh with stewart. All the other prospects were not starting the year on the mlb roster to keep their clock down.
entice other FAs?
How many teams are winners with all rookies or arbitration players? You dont want bloated contracts and dont want to overpay. Then how do you get players to sign free agent contracts to your team at market or under market value. You provide them with reasons to come such as show you are willing to invest in the team and to always try to put a competitive team on the field.
its exhausting talking to met fans.
absolutely mind numbingly exhausting
i wish i could take a time machine and give back myself the 30 years i invested in this useless garbage no good pointless underwhelming disappointing moronic circus freak show of a team
you numbness is probably due to too many high hits before your knee got busted up.
@Roll Why would you platoon Vientos? Better against xHP in 2022, 2020. Better against yHP in 2023, 2021, 2019.
If he was remotely ready they would have let him rip against all pitching.
Lol crying about a manager hire, last refuge of scoundrels
in the minors yes but he hasnt done it in the majors yet so it is either platoon him, be a hitter off the bench, or send him to the minors.
Making him the fulltime DH when he was actually worse than vogelbach may not be the best idea when you are carrying a defensive cf and baty who is only slightly better overall along with wildcard marte. If you have Vientos that would be potentially 4 spots in the regular lineup that would be below average. Even your bench with Omar, Short and Wendle which are below average hitters as well.
First position injury, Vientos is next call up as Stewart while not a good fielder could potentially cover a spot short term with other adjustments in the field. With Vientos Martinez and Pete rotation 1b and dh and primary pinch hitter to keep everyone fresh.
That is my thoughts on it atleast before JD signed.
Deferred payments on a 12 million dollar deal?
Bobby Bonilla 2.0
Does any team want Stanton after 3 home runs yesterday? I’ll take two dozen balls now instead of one.
Mlbnyy – Don’t worry as Stanton will be on the DL soon enough that Judge will be able to slide into the DH spot when he gets dinged up.
Several teams would take Stanton but Yankees would have to buy down contract to 3-4 million per year. But Yankees would save double that due to luxury tax.
Stanton’s NTC allowed him to reject trades to the Giants and the Cards, so he could accept one to NY. No matter how much of his salary the Yankees pick up, it’s hard to imagine him approving a trade anywhere. except for the Dodgers and Mets. I don’t see either of those things happening.
Bonilla was paid to go away A
And B Bonilla wasn’t paid in future money destined to decay much faster than the standard 6-8% a year
Nearly every team has deferred contracts. The Dodgers have quite the ensemble, including Ohtani and Freeman.
Good pick up for Mets. JD can still hit.
He waited this long to sign for that?
Scott Boras promised him a 3 year deal for 20 million a year lol.
Darren – This is the second time in 6 years Boras screwed JD by holding out for too much too long.
@Darren You care to provide a link showing specifically what Boras promised??
Yeah I read that too.
I preferred riding with the Vientos to see what he’s got with regular at bats. Can’t be mad at that price though. C’est la vie.
How do you know he’s not going top get the 3B job? Both he, and Baty have options. Neither is going anywhere.
Baby better, completely unimpressed thus far by vientos
Baty
I just assume Baty’s gonna get it. I know they have options but I Cohen and Stearns both said this is the show and prove year for the young guys. I’m not upset they got JD. He’ll almost guarantee them more production. Just thought we were letting them sink or swim. Again, not upset or anything. LFGM!
Baty looks better. Maybe vientos can sit on the bench and learn to DH from one of the best, since we’re stuck with the DH. Heh but at least pitching injuries are down. Lol
majority of the salary is deferred & will be paid beginning in 2034. I guess mets think they’ll get bored after finally mercifully completing bonilla’s deal in 2035 so they signed up for another deferred deal. Jesus f’in christ
Problem is?
@Johnny utah Didn’t see you complain about the Dodgers and gamble san 700-million-dollar contract mostly deferred?
Mets hater for lousy 12 mil or maybe I honestly missed your comment?
being a mets fan, dont bring up deferred contracts like its a positive
also dodgers are outta their minds. 700 mil to a lying, degenerate gambler, 325 mil to a pitcher who cant last an inning, and 140 mil to a catcher who’ll be close to 40 when the deal is done. but they got that TV money so who cares
Johnny
Did you have an alternative suggestion or just here to complain?
oh look its mutsputz again
the alternative, logical, sensible thing is to give playing time to prospects. not lets wendle, bader, JD and a bunch of other useless garbage vets. enjoy watching 70 win mets this yr
Another Boras client finally conceding and taking the L.
Supreme – You know what’s truly ironic?
Boras did the EXACT SAME THING 6 years ago.
That year the Red Sox waited him out and signed JD to a heavily discounted contract on February 26.
Poor JD trusts Boras way too much.
JDM will be available at the trade deadline
Choi has to be losing his shittoshi right now.
“What’s the difference if Bruce Springsteen is his Shidoshi!”
Bloodsport 1988
A+ That’s a lot of bat for 4.5m this year.
Boras is the best agent by far!
They Bobby Bonilla’d him. Why would a wealthy owner do that? This probably gets them to 73 wins.
@Mlb. I hope that the case when the Martian is due back. Stanton is basically taking a roster spot.
Sid
I don’t think you’re very good at predictions
NYM lineup better. Let’s see is this pitching lab elevates some of the arms. That’s an x-factor
This was pretty much a perfect fit that everyone saw coming. It’s a lot of money for a team that was meant to be restructuring for the year, but it solidifies the lineup. The Mets can easily be an 81+ winning team and get that 3rd WC. I have serious doubts about the pitching, despite their spring training success, but there’s enough talent on this club to surprise people. Most importantly, this Mets squad does better without pressure, and there’s 0 pressure on them right now.
I think the staff will overperform thanks to the stacked defense behind them.
Picking one guy in the 2s, three in the 3s, and two in the 4s.
@raisinsss By ‘stacked defense’ do you mean the below average defense at 1B and 3B, the average d at 2B, the below average defense in RF, the regularly injured above avg CF and the above avg LFer and GG SS?
That’s an average defense, particularly when you begin factoring in the July subs. Only Lindor and Bader are GG-caliber (or close to it) and Bader isn’t going to play more than a half season, and they have numerous weak or avg defenders on the roster.
Wow really great points all around.
@raisinsss You kid, O Wise One, but on defense after Alvarez and Baty they average out to 31-32 years of age.
A spry defense, perhaps.
This seems like a bargain which reflects this year’s market.
It reflects his market.
No it doesn’t. Did you not notice almost every below to mid level player was getting minor league deals this year. Our economy is in the toilet and wealthy business owners know it much better than those watching cnbc
@ “his market”
Yes, and it reflected his market.
Yes, today the Dow, the S & P and NASDAQ all hit record highs today. But you think the economy is in the toilet?
You honestly believe the stock market represents the economy? You really need to look deeper. I wouldn’t even try to begin to list the reasons as you are so far behind the curve I only have sympathy but no patience
Snuff – I know where he’s going with it ….. trying to bring politics into the conversation. He’s saying the economy is in the toilet to try and blame the current administration.
Hopefully nobody engages him, I don’t want this to turn into another long string of political comments.
The markets are 1 indicator of a strong economy. Another is wage growth vs inflation. 2/2024-wages at 5% growth, inflation at 3.2%. Another indicator is job growth. In 2023, the US added 2.7 million jobs. More than any of the 5 years preceeding the pandemic. Another is unemployment. Rate has been under 4% since 12/2021, which is the best stretch in 50 years.
You might want to get a new source for your information.
Very well said Ella.
I think I know more about nuclear physics (which is nothing ) than you do about economics.
Comment not to you, Ella. To Mr. Flagstaff
Flagstaff, I’m sorry you are doing so poorly economically. Maybe turn off your favorite news source and leave mama’s basement. Things might improve.
@Raymond Flagstaff Don’t sweat it. If you asked them what they read and consulted, it would be a list of duopoly-owned and preferred publications.
Of course, blaming just one of the major parties would be epic foolishness.
Toilet? dude, lay off politics. Payrolls have been steadily rising for years. This year is no exception.
Supply and demand bud. Good pitching is scarce and in demand; while DH’s are numerous and not in demand.
Wheeler just got a 41M AVV extension. Snell is up and down and Monty is a #3 looking for ACE money. Yamamota just got 325M.
Damn. Raymond is so much more elevated than the rest of us he can’t even begin to explain. That’s really smart!!
Usually its very hard to smart people to explain complicated subjects. I hope some idiot comes along soon to help us
Fumbled the Giants offer
JD Martinez cleared the air on why he didn’t sign with SF, citing the ballpark, not the city, as the reason why. Even though SF offered more money. Rather ironic, considering that his career numbers are worse in Citi field, than Oracle park.
You can say that again
Martinez know that will be California’s minimum wage by then?
Wow that’s a deal for the Mets.
Good to see JD getting settled.
Feels like we overpaid for Justin Turner. ….and IKF. Lots of teams i think overpaid early. There were good deals to be had.
Cohen runs a hedge fund clearly gauged the economy much better than most owners. Hard with so much propaganda out there
hahahaha coming from Mr Propaganda humself.
Dennis – They weren’t an overpay at the time. Right now there’s very little competition for free agents because most teams already filled their offseason needs, that’s why players who sign in mid-March tend to get less money than what was expected earlier in the offseason.
Erick Fedde: 2/$15M when the better Lorenzen signs for 1/$4.5M. Ugh
Boras had a plan and stuck to it. Good for him and it shows why he is the best agent out there.
@OilCanLloyd Maybe so, but the risk of getting no one is very real.
Looks like the LT killed off a lot of income for a lot of players, suppressing the richer teams’ interest in players.
I don’t think we’ll see a collusion charge stick. When you’d ordinarily have to pay something like 15m for Martinez, and in the Mets case add another 16.5m in penalties, if his price didn’t come down they just weren’t going to pull the trigger on an elderly DH for 1/$31.5m.
A lot of other teams had similar issues. If he’d been willing to sign for 1/14m in the first month it’s hard to think JDM wouldn’t have found a home. He might have gotten 2/20m had he been willing to go there. This wasn’t the year, with so many rich teams so close to or over the LT threshold, to be holding out for every dollar. Boras should have known better, and so should the players. They’ve had many years to learn the ropes of salary, to get other opinions, to take a keen interest in the situation. Instead they handed the keys off to Boras.
Agree somewhat. Jays usually have to get overpay to get players or hold players hostage that already has contracts with no trades.
Question for the Mets fans (as a secondary Mets fan who hasn’t been paying attention!) How’s everyone feeling about this year?
As a primary Mets fan, I’m very optimistic. The rotation will surprise people, with JD on board, the lineup is decent. I predict 84 wins and a WC!
Mets are fine, as always gonna come down to which teams get injured, who and when
Ray – Those are words of wisdom.
Injuries always play a HUGE factor in a team’s performance, which is why I try to avoid predictions.
72-90 is how I feel
Of course you do.
@Mets fan since ’62 It shouldn’t be that bad, comrade. They’re certain to be giving a horrifying number of starts to their #6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 starters, it’s true, but that isn’t a truly terrible lot: Megill, Lucchesi, Butto, Vasil, Petey after the ASB… a lot of teams have worse than this passel of 4.60–4.75 ERAs following 1 through 5. (Actually, 4.60-4.75 ERAs might be the bucket of the current 2 through 4.).
What can we pencil the main rotation in for? Senga for 20 starts after the injury scare? Quintana, say, 15. Manaea, Houser, Severino about 20 each. That leaves roughly 65-70 starts to the rest. With the Mets modest offense, average in the main, that won’t a whole lot of games. Probably won’t lose a horrible lot, either.
What are we looking at… McNeil, Pete, Nimmo, Lindor, Martinez, Alvarez, Baty,, DJ Stewart, Bader.
That’s not too bad.
You can sort of see them noodling along like the jazz band at your local lounge, picking up a little gas at the Deadline, a little zip, and ending up with a lustrous 82 wins, playing games in September that aren’t meaningful, exactly, but that are… mildly interesting before they break your heart yet again.
Mets 2024: “The Thing To Do, is 82”
@Greensoxbaseball Clearly a sub-.500 team with no prospects of going anywhere in the postseason if by some small chance they arrive there.
There’s also a good chance we get to the end of the 2024 season without a single Mets prospect or young player other than Alvarez having shown himself to be worthy of being inked into the 26-man roster for 2025.
In addition, every member of the Mets’ nucleus other than Alvarez is post-prime and only getting older. That means knocking 3 WAR every year off the projections of those half-dozen players, which means in turn cranking out an Alvarez-caliber prospect every year just to tread water.
After the injured Senga, do the Mets have one pitcher who projects to put up a 95 ERA+ in 20 starts?
2025 — will be the year the Mets get under the LT.
2026 — the year that some prospects distinguish themselves or solidify their roles.
2027 — Wait ’til this year!
Makes no sense to give him a raise considering his age and current economic climate. Does he make Mets better than Phillies? Or close to Braves? No on both counts…
In general people are only capable of assessing the recent past. Very little to gauge distant past or near future.
He will also have value at the deadline. Mets will probably load up on another crop of top prospects when the deadline hits.
This is the real plan. Mets fans are having realistic dreams of that 3rd WC spot, and they should, but keep in mind the better longterm goal may be flipping these vets at the deadline.
Von – Last year at the trade deadline the DBacks were tied with two other teams for the 3rd Wildcard spot.
In 2021 the Braves on 07/31 were 52-54 and 3.5 games back of the 3rd Wildcard spot.
It would be silly to forfeit a possible postseason berth just to pick up some prospects, especially knowing a high percentage of them never make it in the majors.
Oh I don’t think the Mets will intentionally forfeit. I’m just saying if they’re out of that 3rd WC spot by the deadline, they have plenty of pieces to stock up.
The economic climate change between December -Yamammota 325M February -Wheeker 41M extension and March ? No, good pitching is in demand and good DH’s are not.
Good move for the Mets. Flies against their statement of not really being IN this season, but Good nonetheless. Heck of a pairing with Alonso.
That Arte Moreno is having one great off season. Can’t think of a better owner save Frank McCourt.
Good signing… JD still rocks statcast, so last years far from an illusion – and it’s definitely a step up from the other JD who signed last week and for a similar 2024 cost. The Mets gave Vientos more ABs than anyone this spring training, and he didn’t really instill confidence that he’s worth DH at bats (though he had a few knocks). And while Marte is fit … you cant have a lot of confidence in that lineup past your #4 hitter. Martinez is a solid middle of the order bat and makes this team better than the 2-3 wins above replacement that he might post
So why are you on mlbtr? To sound like a sardonic fool?
Oh I’m so bored here. So bored I’m gonna go post it in true gamma style
Impressive how dull you are… proceed
You’re jealous because you think he’s bigger than you?
More than I thought he’d get. Good for him.
Not a great financial decision on his part. That money won’t be worth nearly as much in 10 years time and it’s not a significant enough amount to discount the wrath of inflation.
I would expect this had to of been explained to him. But I’m amazed how few people on here have expressed this.
Maybe instead or posting how bored you are read the article?
Give us a break…you can’t live on $1.5 million per year ON TOP of the money he’s made throughout his entire career?! I’m sure that money was invested well, he owns a couple of nice homes, etc. Lol
It is unclear what your point is? Hyper inflation doesnt exist? Rich people have no worries? I’m thinking you don’t comprehend inflation is the government stealing from you and that it effects everyone. 1.5 million could easily be worth 200k in today’s dollars by 2030. That’s the point.
Yeah, I guess that is my point. Poor JD, in 10 years he won’t be able to afford a loaf of bread with that $1.5 million per year he’ll receive, on top of the investments from the income he’s made during the last 10 years of his career. And I agree, our government is a parasite sucking the life out of its host…the American people.
Inflation is the cost of climate change and 20 years of stagnant growth.
Nice retirement plan he got from NY.
Smart low cost move…
JD Martinez is a human rain delay. Swing the bat already!
The Mets now need a SP, sign Bauer and/or Montgomery
Bauer is under contract to a ballclub in Mexico.
Bauer needs to sign with Boras. He will get him signed right away.
Solid move. My only issue is I believe Vientos needs to be playing everyday in order to unlock his true potentiap. He is a dam good hitter, atleast in terms of power. Martinez is a better player. Vientos needs to truly show hes capable with the glove this year or else hes getting shipped out of here and that would be a shame
Yeah I agree about Vientos needing to show some aptitude with the glove. His bat is coming alive and baty looks like lost with a bat. Too many k’s and ground outs to second base from Baty.
Wow I just saw this. Mini Deferrals makes it happen
I wonder if Fanduel has changed the Over Under win total yet
Deepens the lineup. Helps us compete better against ATL and PHI
So you’re saying there’s a Chance ….. The STEMS might be able to get a WC! Ya Gotta Believe Again
Vientos and others should still get a decent amount of at bats.
I think the Baty Vientos platoon can work; of course we want offense without too many strikeouts BUT 3B DEFENse IS SOOO IMPORTANT
I wonder if JD would be open to playing in the field for 15 games or so. Probably a bad idea. Looked it up on B Reference he only played OF even in his early years. I thought at one time he played some 3B or 1B NO I’m wrong.
I was thinking of Castellanos who was also on DET
Prediction 86 Wins. What is the difference between 5 wins or losses?
a 10 game swing . >>> Correct – Still NO Ties in Baseball
I said 1 for 5 mil. 4.5 for this season and paid out way later in the next decade. I think I was close.
No real expectations this year, so they probably grab a wild card.
JD must not want to spend much time in San Fran.
JD Martinez cleared the air on why he didn’t sign with SF, citing the ballpark, not the city, as the reason why. Even though SF offered more money. Rather ironic, considering that his career numbers are worse in Citi field, than Oracle park.
Deferred money? He picked that up from his old teammates.
Actually he picked that up from Bobby Bonilla.
Mate, Ohtani deferred 600M. Bonilla deferred 5M
Hopefully JD decides at the last minute to wait it out until a contender offers him a legit contract.
Yes. That will probably happen.
That’s a really mischaracterising way to express his batting stats vs prior years. Sure if you include the 2020 short season the overall is lower but for the prior 2 seasons he hit .280/.340 — in other words better average, obp, lower HR. The big change to LA from BOS was the selling out of approach for power.
I smell Adrian Gonzalez
He literally just took a shower.
If they signed him last season they may have verlander and scherzer still on the team looking for a possible back to back World Series.
The lack of a dh killed this team last year
Owners must be loving this. It’s not really a bad contract for Martinez, but it’s much less than he thought he could get. And that’s what the owners want–uncertainty that brings qualified and productive players to second-guessing their strategies.
He was offered more by SF
What’s the over /under jd and Alanzo hit back to back hrs or rbis or hits? – asking for ohtani
Just what I asked for in a previous post; deferred payment but some know it all poster said it couldn’t be done and ripped me a new one? Where are they now?
Bottom line I am very happy as a long time Mets fan!!
@Canosucks The deferred money doesn’t mean anything, though. It doesn’t make any difference It’s essentially a 1/$9.5 contract, some of which is going to be paid in 2034-2038 money which is going to be worth a lot less than 2024 money.
If Martinez wanted 1/14m or 1/12m or 1/11m in 2024 money the Mets would have told him to pound sand, as they had been during negotiations when he was holding out for 1/14m then 1/12m then 1/11m in 2024 money.
Twins should have grabbed him. We’re going to need all the offense and runs we can get to make up for our bad rotation and banged up bullpen that is going to be way over used….
@Raymond Flagstaff
5 hours ago
“Thank you for that. I have no desire to explain it to u”
Because you can’t explain it. This is what is called you losing an argument and you not being able to defend your argument.
Good luck, JD ! Wish you were on your way to Detroit…..
Good move by the Mets.
This makes it abundantly clear the Mets don’t see Vientos as close to ready, and they’re probably right.
K’ing at 30% in ST against modest competition, all of 2 walks in 54 PA, .212/.241/.481 and he still doesn’t quite look like a major leaguer. Like last year he looks like a HS freshman up against the Varsity, and hardly ready to bring his great AAA results to the majors. It happens, and he may never be ready, may never improve past a AAAA skill set.
Still, he was good enough in AAA that he should be able to bring a .800 OPS to the majors, all things being equal. Sadly, they aren’t.
If he was ready for a three month run, his audition to be the Mets DH and perhaps even their 1Bman of the future, there’s no way the Mets would be putting JDM in the way—not with 2026 their target date to start getting serious after getting under the LT threshold in 2025.
At least in Martinez they get an adult righty in the room who may serve as a useful model. It will be interesting to see if the Mets keep Vientos with their MLB team even in a much smaller role—it makes more sense to keep him up and working at being a major leaguer than it does to send him down simply to try to squeeze another quarter-win out of the last bench spot.
Lmao, below above etc however this website places it, some dummy wondered why I compared a 1999 contract of Edgar Martinez to jd after he criticized an aging dh contract. If you look at the stats it’s a great comp, but Mr “I’m so intelligent” couldn’t figure out how inflation works. Lmao. So many gammas these days, so little time to embarrass them. But worth it to point it out without replying because seriously who wants to engage a gamma
Mets needed someone to replace Bobby Bonilla day
MLBTR writers REALLY need to learn this basic rule of English grammar. “Strong as that production was” isn’t proper English. You can’t just leave out “as” at the start of the sentence. It’s not optional.
JD Martinez cleared the air on why he didn’t sign with SF, citing the ballpark, not the city, as the reason why. Even though SF offered more money. Rather ironic, considering that his career numbers are worse in Citi field, than Oracle park.
Mets should win more than NYY, hard to believe but true.
This is a good signing by the Mets – he does make the lineup better tho there is still a hole in CF and 3B – have watched Baty this spring and no doubt he is a sucker for a high outside fastball – his fielding is ok but –