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J.D. Martinez

New York Notes: Belt, Martinez, Cole

By Nick Deeds | April 7, 2024 at 12:02pm CDT

Veteran slugger Brandon Belt’s free agency has surprisingly dragged into the regular season, with the soon to be 36-year-old reportedly “baffled” by the lack of offers he’s received to this point. The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly provided additional details on Belt’s free agency recently, noting that the Mets were the only club to offer Belt a guaranteed contract this winter, though he added that the deal was “almost entirely” incentives-based.

Belt is coming off an excellent season with the Blue Jays that saw him slash .254/.369/.490 with 404 trips to the plate. That included a fantastic 146 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, the eleventh-best figure among all qualified hitters last year which trailed only Shohei Ohtani among this winter’s free agents. The performance was more or less par for the course for Belt, who’s hit .258/.369/.503 since the start of the 2020 season and is a career .261/.357/.460 hitter for his career. That type of production certainly would’ve made sense for the Mets, though the club ultimately landed slugger J.D. Martinez on a one-year deal to plug the hole in the lineup at DH.

With that said, it’s somewhat surprising that the Mets were the only club to offer Belt a big league deal this winter. The only player on MLBTR’s annual Top 50 free agents list still unsigned, Belt was predicted for a one-year, $15MM deal this winter. That would’ve been a small bump over the one-year, $9.3MM deal he landed with Toronto prior to 2023 on the heels of a below-average showing at the plate during his final season with the Giants. Belt recently indicated that he still hopes to play in 2024, but also noted that he doesn’t want to settle for a minor league contract after his strong season last year.

More from the New York teams…

  • Sticking with the Mets, Martinez was expected to make his debut with the club during this week’s series against the Braves, but that plan appears to have been scuttled. As relayed by MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Martinez is dealing with “general body soreness” and is not yet ready for his big league debut. Now, DiComo reports that the plan is for Martinez to take the next two days off and return to minor league action on Tuesday, with Friday as the earliest Martinez could make his big league Mets debut. The 36-year-old slugger slashed an impressive .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs in 113 games with the Dodgers last year and figures to provide a major boost to the big league lineup, which ranks 28th in the majors with a 64 wRC+ so far in the young 2024 campaign.
  • Looking toward the Bronx, Yankees fans received positive news regarding ace right-hander Gerrit Cole this morning, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Greg Joyce of the New York Post) that Cole is nearing the beginnings of a throwing program. Cole started the season on the injured list while rehabbing nerve inflammation on his elbow, and now is expected to begin playing catch as soon as tomorrow. Cole, 33, is the reigning AL Cy Young award winner and a six-time All Star who pitched to a sterling 2.63 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate in 209 innings of work. If the right-hander can make a relatively speedy return from his rehab, it would surely provide a major boost to the Yankees as they look to return to the postseason.
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New York Mets New York Yankees Notes Brandon Belt Gerrit Cole J.D. Martinez

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MLBTR Podcast: A Live Reaction To The Jordan Montgomery Signing, Ohtani’s Interpreter, And J.D. Martinez Joins The Mets

By Darragh McDonald | March 27, 2024 at 9:58am CDT

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

  • Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers makes remarks about his former interpreter and the gambling investigation (1:20)
  • The inner strife of the MLBPA seems to be fizzling out (14:35)
  • We are discussing J.D. Martinez signing with the Mets when we are interrupted by… (18:30)
  • Live breaking news of Jordan Montgomery agreeing to a deal with the Diamondbacks (20:25)
  • Then we go back to Martinez and the Mets (25:00)
  • Some more Montgomery and Diamondbacks talk (29:10)
  • Rangers sign Michael Lorenzen instead of Montgomery (34:15)
  • Wyatt Landford makes Opening Day roster with the Rangers but Jackson Holliday doesn’t make the Orioles (39:00)
  • Rockies sign Ezequiel Tovar to an extension (45:10)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Luis García Jr, Lance McCullers Jr, and Kendall Graveman of the Astros are likely out, at the very least, until mid-June.  How come none of these guys are on the 60-day injured list?  Do you seen the Astros moving them there and if so, when? (49:15)
  • Do you think it’s possible that the league begins to follow the Angels and Rangers footsteps and call up recent draft picks as soon as they show any signs of potential? Also, do you think it is at all possible that teams start to call up teenagers? (52:25)

Check out our past episodes!

  • Mutiny In The MLBPA, Blake Snell Signs With The Giants And The Dylan Cease Trade – listen here
  • Injured Pitchers, Brayan Bello’s Extension, Mookie Betts At Shortstop And J.D. Davis – listen here
  • The Giants Sign Matt Chapman, Zack Wheeler’s Extension, And Blake Snell And Jordan Montgomery Remain – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

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Arizona Diamondbacks Baltimore Orioles Colorado Rockies Los Angeles Dodgers MLB Trade Rumors Podcast MLBPA New York Mets Texas Rangers Ezequiel Tovar J.D. Martinez Jackson Holliday Jordan Montgomery Michael Lorenzen Shohei Ohtani Wyatt Langford

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Mets Sign J.D. Martinez

By Anthony Franco | March 23, 2024 at 8:33am CDT

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.

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New York Mets Newsstand Transactions J.D. Martinez

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Angels, Mets Remain Engaged With J.D. Martinez

By Darragh McDonald | March 12, 2024 at 4:35pm CDT

Regular season baseball is just over the horizon but many free agents remain unsigned. Two of the most notable of those free agents are left-hander Blake Snell and designated hitter J.D. Martinez, both of whom are represented by the Boras Corporation. The Halos were connected to both of those players back in December and Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Halos are still talking about both of them. In a separate column, Heyman adds that the Mets also remain involved with Martinez, to whom they were connected last month.

It’s unclear if the Angels are making a serious push for a late signing or merely keeping tabs as the players linger on the open market into the middle of March, but they are one of the few clubs that make for a logical fit for a notable deal at this point. Many teams around the league have exhausted their respective budgets by this stage of the calendar, with some of them having concerns around luxury tax payments or uncertainty around TV revenue streams.

But the Angels are below their previous levels of spending, both in terms of pure payroll expenditures and competitive balance tax calculations. RosterResource currently lists their payroll at $174MM and their CBT number at $189MM for 2024. Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Halos had an Opening Day payroll of $212MM last year, $38MM above where they are now. The base threshold of the CBT is $237MM this year, which gives the club $48MM of space if they want to stay below the tax, which is a line they hovered around last year.

Owner Arte Moreno has previously stated that the club is planning on operating with a lower payroll this year, but without specifics about exactly where they want to end up. Given the gaps between last year’s spending and this year’s, it’s possible to envision another signing coming together while still fulfilling his plan of reduced overall expenditures.

Many observers wondered if the club would look to mount a rebuild in the post-Shohei Ohtani era, but general manager Perry Minasian firmly stated at the start of the offseason that the club would not be doing that and was actually planning an aggressive offseason.

Thus far, the club has directed most of its efforts to the bullpen, signing Robert Stephenson, Matt Moore, Luis García, Adam Cimber and José Cisnero. On the position player side, their most notable addition was signing Aaron Hicks, who they will only have to pay the league minimum since the Yankees are still on the hook for his contract. Their most significant rotation addition was a $1MM signing of Zach Plesac, who has already been optioned to the minors.

Adding Martinez would be a clear upgrade to the club’s lineup, as he has a long track record of effective hitting and is coming off a 33-home run campaign with the Dodgers. The roster fit is a little awkward since Martinez is primarily a DH at this point, having only played 12 innings in the field over the last two years combined. The Angels technically have an open DH spot with Ohtani’s departure but may want to use that for their various aging or injury-prone players. Both Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout are the club’s two highest-paid players and each has missed significant time in the past few years as they have pushed into their 30s. Giving them occasional DH time and keeping them fresh might be preferable to locking up the DH spot with Martinez. Similar logic could apply to other players in their 30s like Brandon Drury or Hicks.

Previous reporting has suggested that Martinez turned down an offer of $14MM from the Giants while looking for either a two-year deal, a salary near $20MM or both. The Angels could accommodate that without reaching last year’s spending levels, though they would have to weigh the benefits of adding his bat to the lineup against the reduced ability to rest their other players, as well as the financial cost.

Snell would certainly cost more but it’s much easier to imagine him fitting onto the roster. The Halos have a rotation of Reid Detmers, Patrick Sandoval, Tyler Anderson, Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth. Everyone in that group can still be optioned apart from Anderson, while Silseth has just 81 major league innings under his belt. At this late stage in the offseason, Snell would likely have to miss the opening of the schedule anyway and injuries may have popped up by the time he’s fully stretched out. Even if he can’t be expected to repeat last year’s Cy Young-winning season that finished with a 2.25 ERA, he’s one of the best pitchers in the league and would upgrade any rotation.

The lefty reportedly turned down an offer of $150MM over six years from the Yankees, average annual value of $25MM, with Snell looking for either a salary in the $30MM range or a longer pact. MLBTR’s Contract Tracker shows that Anderson’s three-year, $39MM is the largest the Angels have given to a starting pitcher since 2012, both in terms of years and guaranteed dollars.

Despite that apparent distaste to giving lengthy free agent pacts to pitchers, it’s possible to imagine the two sides coming together. Snell is reportedly open to a shorter pact with higher AAVs and opt-outs, similar to those signed by fellow Boras clients Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman. That type of deal is difficult for a club that has already spent a huge chunk of its budget or has tax bills to think about. The Yankees, for instance, would have to pay $33MM in taxes in order to give Snell a contract with a $30MM AAV this year. As mentioned above, the Halos have plenty of spending capacity before they even reach last year’s payroll or come close to the CBT line. Snell rejected a qualifying offer from the Padres so signing him would also cost the Angels their second-highest pick in this summer’s draft as well as $500K of their international bonus pool.

Until a deal comes together, the rotation will project to be that fivesome of Detmers, Sandoval, Anderson, Canning and Silseth. The club has been stretching out some other guys, such as Andrew Wantz and José Soriano, but they are apparently behind the front five. Manager Ron Washington tells Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that Wantz and Soriano will stay stretched out for now but won’t earn a rotation spot unless there’s an injury to one of the other five guys.

As for the Mets, they have been connected to Martinez previously, but with the caveat that they were leaning towards giving at-bats to younger players like Brett Baty or Mark Vientos. Those two could split the third base job and the DH slot, with Joey Wendle perhaps filling in at third on defense from time to time while DJ Stewart could perhaps take some plate appearances as the DH.

Both of Baty and Vientos are optionable and could therefore be sent to the minors, but it makes sense that the Mets would want to give them some run at the big league level. Vientos has hit just .205/.255 /.354 in the majors but has slashed .290/.369/.554 at Triple-A over the last two years. Similarly, Baty has hit .210/.272/.325 in the big leagues but .311/.405/.554 in the minors over the past two years.

Since neither of them have much left to prove on the farm and the Mets are planning a sort of bridge year in 2024, there’s logic to letting them face big league pitchers to see if either takes a step forward. Signing Martinez would also come with a hefty financial cost, as the Mets are set to be third-time payors of the CBT and are above the fourth tier of penalization. That means they face a 110% tax on any money they add to their books. Giving Martinez $15MM for this year, just as an example, would also involve paying $16.5MM in taxes and a total expense of $31.5MM.

If the club is willing to consider such an expenditure, it would lengthen the lineup as they walk a tightrope in 2024. They mostly limited themselves to one-year deals this offseason as they look to field a competitive team but without sacrificing too much of their future flexibility. Signing Martinez could lengthen their lineup here in 2024 but would also come with the opportunity cost of having less playing time for guys like Baty and Vientos, as well as the aforementioned financial elements.

In addition to the Angels, Snell has continued to garner interest from other clubs, with the Giants connected to him earlier this month. The Yankees may revisit their talks with Snell if they get bad news regarding Gerrit Cole’s MRI, though recent reporting has suggested they may be more likely to trade for Dylan Cease due to his lower salary and tax hit. Martinez was recently connected to the Marlins, in addition to the talks with the Mets and Angels.

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Los Angeles Angels New York Mets Andrew Wantz Blake Snell J.D. Martinez Jose Soriano

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Marlins, J.D. Martinez Have Had Recent Discussions

By Steve Adams | March 8, 2024 at 3:05pm CDT

The Marlins and free agent slugger J.D. Martinez have had recent talks, reports Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. The slugger has been seeking a two-year deal. Mish notes that the Marlins have been planning to keep the DH spot open and rotate Josh Bell, Jake Burger and others through that spot. There doesn’t appear to be a fit between the two parties at the moment, he adds, though one would imagine that’s in part due to Martinez’s asking price.

Even if there’s no current fit, the conversations are of note. It shows at least some willingness from Miami to spend further in free agency, and it adds a new entrant to the Martinez mix, should his price drop to a certain point. Presumably, if the price fell to the point where a typically low-spending club like Miami was comfortable, other teams currently not in the mix for Martinez would also show interest.

The 36-year-old Martinez just wrapped up a strong rebound season with the Dodgers, wherein he slashed .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs. Last year’s 7.1% walk rate was Martinez’s lowest since establishing himself as a big league regular, however, while his 31.1% strikeout rate was a career-high. That could suggest an aging hitter who’s selling out for more power at the expense of his once better-than-average contact skills, but even if that’s the case, the results are hard to argue with. The question moving forward is whether that approach is conducive to further success — particularly over a multi-year deal.

Martinez posted off-the-charts batted ball data in 2023. His 93.4 mph average exit velocity, 17% barrel rate and 54.8% hard-hit rate all ranked in the 98th percentile of MLB hitters. When Martinez did make contact, there was practically no one who did so with more authority. Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson and Matt Chapman are the only qualified hitters in baseball with a higher average exit velocity than Martinez’s 2023 mark. Only Judge, Chapman, Acuna, Olson and Juan Soto hit a higher percentage of their batted balls at 95 mph or more.

In Miami, Martinez would effectively be replacing Jorge Soler, who opted out of the final year and $13MM on his contract and eventually signed a three-year, $42MM deal with the Giants. Martinez, in some ways, is an older version of that same skill set: he’s a right fielder whose dwindling defensive prowess makes him best-suited for DH work, and his batted-ball data and production against left-handed pitching are elite, as is the case with Soler. Martinez has more even platoon splits than Soler, but he also struck out far more often last season than Soler.

The Marlins made practically no attempt to re-sign Soler, so it’s surprising to see them checking in with Martinez. Perhaps it’s simply a matter of trying to land a bargain upgrade for the lineup late in the year as the asking price on many free agents drop. But the Marlins probably do have enough money left to make a deal for Martinez work, even if his price hasn’t bottomed out. RosterResource pegs Miami at a projected $101.6MM Opening Day payroll — about $8.4MM shy of last season’s end-of-year mark.

Even if they’re not willing to stretch beyond last year’s payroll level — which probably would rule out getting Martinez on a one-year deal — the Fish could probably offer Martinez a backloaded two-year arrangement. The only contracts on the Marlins’ books in 2025 are Avisail Garcia ($12MM) and Sandy Alcantara ($17MM). They’ll also owe Garcia a $5MM buyout on a 2026 option.

That number will spike, as Miami has a huge arbitration class headlined by Luis Arraez, Jesus Luzardo, Jazz Chisholm Jr., A.J. Puk, Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera (with several other role players also mixed in). Even still, there ought to be enough room for the Fish to creatively structure a deal to bring Martinez into the fold — if owner Bruce Sherman green-lights that type of expenditure. Whether he’ll do so remains an open question. Miami sat out free agency for the entire offseason before signing Tim Anderson to a one-year, $5MM contract recently. The team has shown little appetite for free agent spending in recent years and has frequently been burned when choosing to do so (Garcia, Johnny Cueto, Jean Segura).

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Miami Marlins J.D. Martinez

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Latest On Giants’ Past Negotiations With J.D. Martinez

By Nick Deeds | February 25, 2024 at 12:20pm CDT

Reports yesterday indicated that veteran slugger J.D. Martinez had turned down a contract offer from the Giants earlier this offseason, before the club ultimately landed Jorge Soler on a three-year deal. There have been conflicting reports regarding the nature of the sides breaking off negotiations, with the New York Post’s Jon Heyman suggesting that Martinez simply “didn’t want to go” to San Francisco while Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reported that Martinez made a counteroffer to the Giants that club brass “weren’t comfortable with.”

This morning, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand shed additional light on the situation, reporting that the Giants’ initial offer to Martinez was a one-year deal worth $14MM. The two reports diverge from there, however, with Nightengale indicating that Martinez rejected the contract in pursuit of a two-year deal while Feinsand reports that Martinez was seeking $20MM and declined San Francisco’s offer despite potentially being open to accepting “a little less” than his preferred salary figure.

Of course, it’s possible there’s elements of truth to both reports. Speculatively speaking, it could be the case that Martinez’s preference would be a two-year deal in the range of $20MM annually, though he may be willing to accept a one-year deal at the higher end of that range or a two-year pact for a slightly lower AAV. That would fall in line would fall roughly in line with MLBTR’s prediction for Martinez’s contract, which sat at two years and $40MM.  It remains to be seen whether or not Martinez will actually be able to earn that sum, of course. The offseason’s top offensive free agent behind Shohei Ohtani, outfielder Cody Bellinger, settled for a three-year, $80MM deal earlier this morning. It’s possible that Bellinger’s deal clocking in below expectations is a concerning signal for Martinez, though with him off the board Martinez’s biggest rival on the positional market is third baseman Matt Chapman, who figures to have a different set of suitors than the veteran slugger.

Martinez figures to be an impact bat for the club that eventually lands him, even as he enters his age-36 season. After slashing an excellent .292/.363/.526 across 637 games in a Red Sox uniform from 2018 to 2022 en route to four All Star appearances and a top-four finish in AL MVP voting, Martinez took a one-year deal with the Dodgers last winter and revamped his approach in L.A. to generate more power. The changes worked as intended, as he slashed a fantastic .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs in just 479 trips to the plate after hitting just 16 homers in 596 plate appearances the previous season. That incredible power came at the expense of a significant jump in strikeouts, as his 31.1% strikeout rate last year marked the first time he was punched out at a clip over 30% in his career.

With the Giants now assuredly out of the running for Martinez’s services after signing Soler, the veteran slugger could still make sense for a handful of clubs. The Angels and Mets have both been connected to the veteran at various points this offseason, though public indications are that neither team prefers to add a full time DH to its mix. A team like the Cubs or Twins that lacks a full-time DH could at least theoretically accommodate Martinez at the position, though each club sports a crowded positional mix and figures to benefit considerably from having the DH spot available to rest players or work in more playing time for youngsters forcing their way into the lineup. If none of the aforementioned teams are interested to committing to Martinez on a high-dollar or multi-year deal, that could leave the veteran slugger forced to lower his asking price. At that point, any of the aforementioned clubs or even a low-budget club with a clear need for offense such as the Guardians could jump into the mix for Martinez’s services.

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San Francisco Giants J.D. Martinez

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J.D. Martinez Turned Down Offer From Giants

By Mark Polishuk | February 24, 2024 at 10:57pm CDT

6:52pm: According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic, the Giants made an offer to Martinez while they were already in talks with Soler and Martinez’s camp made a counteroffer that San Francisco brass “weren’t comfortable with.” The specifics of both the club’s offer to Martinez and Martinez’s counteroffer remain unclear, though Pavlovic’s report seems to indicate that Martinez’s apparent lack of interest in San Francisco may have had more to do with the deal’s value than soft factors such as geography or club competitiveness.

12:04pm: The Giants made J.D. Martinez a contract offer at some point this offseason prior to the team’s deal with Jorge Soler, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports.  Martinez rejected the offer because he “didn’t want to go there,” Heyman writes, which could indicate any number of concerns (roster fit, playing time, geography, etc.) beyond perhaps any misgivings about the value or nature of the deal the Giants put on the table.

It is safe to assume that San Francisco didn’t offer Martinez anything akin to the three years and $42MM that Soler received, given that Martinez is entering his age-36 season and is four and a half years older than Soler.  That said, the two players have similar profiles as right-handed hitters with defensive limitations in the field.  Martinez is essentially a DH-only player at this point in his career, and the bulk of Soler’s time in the Marlins’ 2023 lineup was spent as a designated hitter.

Though Martinez has had more streakiness and variance in his performance as he has aged, he has still been the more consistent hitter than the notoriously inconsistent Soler.  Both players were All-Stars and 33-homer hitters in 2023 and had interestingly similar numbers, as Martinez had a 135 wRC+ while hitting .271/.321/.572 in 479 plate appearances for the Dodgers and Soler hit .250/.341/.512 over 580 PA with Miami.  Martinez’s playing time was limited by groin and back problems, and Soler had much better walk and strikeout rates than Martinez, even if Soler’s 24.3 K% was still below average.

Soler and Martinez weren’t far apart on MLBTR’s list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, as Soler was ranked 16th and Martinez 20th.  The age gap was one of the determining factors in the differing rankings, and we predicted a smaller annual average value for Soler (with a three-year, $45MM projection) than Martinez (two years, $40MM).  Of course, it now seems entirely possible that Martinez will end up falling behind Soler in AAV given that we’re in the last week of February and Martinez still remains unsigned.

The Blue Jays, Mets, Angels, and Diamondbacks have all been linked to Martinez’s market at various points this winter, though Toronto and Arizona have since already added other veteran bats (i.e. Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, Randal Grichuk) for the DH role and no longer seem like fits.  MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently broke down possibilities for Martinez’s next landing spot and listed the Mets and Angels as still the most logical destinations based on team need, even if both clubs have indicated they would prefer to use the DH spot to cycle many players through the lineup.  Heyman suggested the Rangers as a possible candidate for Martinez, though Texas also has a lot of promising up-and-comers in need of at-bats.

Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has been generally conservative with free agent expenditures during his five-plus years in charge of San Francisco’s front office.  As the Contract Tracker indicates, this winter’s signings of Jung Ho Lee and Jordan Hicks marked the first time that Zaidi signed a player to a deal of four or more years.  Speculatively speaking, it seems plausible that Zaidi first checked on the possibility of signing Martinez or another known Giants target in Rhys Hoskins before agreeing to go to three years to land Soler.

From Martinez’s end, we don’t know enough about the Giants’ offer to gauge whether or not he might’ve erred in not accepting the deal, or if accepting it at some unspecified earlier point would’ve taken him off the market much earlier.  However, if Martinez just wasn’t interested in playing for the Giants in particular, money might not have been the issue whatsoever.

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San Francisco Giants J.D. Martinez

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Which Teams Could Still Accommodate J.D. Martinez?

By Anthony Franco | February 20, 2024 at 3:01pm CDT

Much of the offseason focus remains on the so-called “Boras four”: Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Matt Chapman — all of whom remain unsigned into Spring Training. There’s one other player from MLBTR’s top 20 free agents who has yet to put pen to paper. J.D. Martinez doesn’t have the earning power of his aforementioned younger counterparts, but he’s another Boras Corporation client coming off an excellent platform year.

Martinez was always going to face some market limitations. He’s 36 years old and has started one game on defense over the past two seasons. Some teams simply won’t want to commit to an aging designated hitter. Still, there’s a strong case that Martinez is the best unsigned offensive player. Much of Bellinger’s and Chapman’s value lies in their defense. Teams that just want a short-term boost to the middle of their lineup could look to Martinez.

Which clubs still make sense as a landing spot?

Strongest Fits

Angels: The Halos aren’t going to replace Shohei Ohtani’s production at DH, but Martinez is the closest remaining approximation. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic has written that the Angels aren’t keen on bringing in a full-time designated hitter, reasoning that Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon might be better served rotating through the position to stay healthy. On the other hand, Aaron Hicks is so far the only addition to a lineup that was merely average despite an MVP season from Ohtani. It’s hard to reconcile that lack of activity with claims from GM Perry Minasian and owner Arte Moreno that the team hopes to compete in 2024.

Mets: Martinez has been most frequently tied to the Mets throughout the winter. The New York Post’s Mike Puma reported a couple weeks ago that the sides remain in contact. Will Sammon of the Athletic has characterized those discussions as due diligence, writing that New York is likelier to turn to 24-year-old Mark Vientos to gauge whether he can be a part of a contending lineup in 2025 and beyond. It doesn’t seem the door is completely closed, but the Mets are at least waiting to see if the asking price falls.

Longer Shot Possibilities

Cubs: It’d be a surprise if Martinez is the remaining free agent whom the Cubs grab. Chicago has been tied far more often to Bellinger and Chapman, both of whom are cleaner fits on the roster. If the Cubs feel Christopher Morel and Michael Busch can hold their own on the infield corners, that theoretically opens DH. It’d leave the coaching staff without much defensive flexibility, though. Boras and Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts traded barbs yesterday after Ricketts was asked about Bellinger, although there’s nothing to suggest that’ll stop Chicago from engaging on any of Boras’ clients.

Guardians: If Martinez’s long stay on the open market drops his asking price, the Guardians could be opportunistic. They’ve taken shots at first base/DH types before, bringing in Edwin Encarnación and Josh Bell in free agency. Last winter’s Bell signing didn’t work, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have more success with Martinez. Cleveland has Josh Naylor and highly-regarded prospect Kyle Manzardo as the likely first base/DH tandem. Manzardo, acquired in last summer’s trade of Aaron Civale to Tampa Bay, has yet to make his MLB debut. If Martinez takes a one-year deal in a similar price range as last year’s $10MM guarantee, there’s a case for Cleveland to jump in and keep Manzardo in Triple-A for another season.

Padres: As with a couple other teams in this tier, the biggest question for San Diego is their spending capacity. The Padres have at least one outfield vacancy and want to stabilize the back of the rotation. They’re projected roughly $20MM south of the luxury tax threshold and reportedly plan to remain below that line. That still leaves open the possibility of adding Martinez, but he’d likely account for at least half their remaining CBT space. With multiple areas to address (and a desire to leave some payroll space for midseason help), going big on a DH is a tough fit.

Red Sox: On paper, there’s a fit for Boston bringing Martinez back. They were loosely tied to similar players in Teoscar Hernández and Jorge Soler. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been open about the desire for another right-handed bat. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo downplayed the fit earlier this month, though, writing that Martinez’s “unique methods weren’t universally loved within the walls of Boston’s clubhouse” during his first stint.

Twins: If Martinez’s market drops far enough, perhaps Minnesota could jump in. The Twins were middle-of-the-pack in production against left-handed pitching a year ago. They added Carlos Santana on a $5.25MM deal to split time with Alex Kirilloff between first base and DH. Martinez is a much better hitter than Santana, though, so there’s a case for kicking the latter to the bench. The bigger obstacle might be Byron Buxton. He’s moving back to center field after knee injuries kept him to DH work for the entirety of 2023. Would the Twins be confident enough in Buxton holding up physically to sign a DH? They have a projected payroll in the $124MM range after opening the winter with a reported spending target between $125-140MM.

Already Addressed DH

A number of teams that could’ve been suitors for Martinez have gone elsewhere to add a starting designated hitter. The Dodgers (Ohtani), Blue Jays (Justin Turner), Giants (Soler), Mariners (Mitch Garver), and Diamondbacks (Joc Pederson) all once made sense but are more difficult fits now.

The Pirates never seemed likely to meet Martinez’s asking price and re-signed Andrew McCutchen. Milwaukee’s signing of Rhys Hoskins was more of a direct addition at first base, but he’s also a right-handed hitter without much defensive flexibility. The Brewers have a handful of outfielders who could push Christian Yelich to DH at times and also agreed to terms with Gary Sánchez on a one-year deal as a backup catcher/DH option. (Milwaukee still hasn’t announced the Sánchez contract nearly two weeks after it was first reported.)

In-House DH

The Phillies (Kyle Schwarber), Braves (Marcell Ozuna), and Astros (Yordan Alvarez) all have clear starters. The Orioles, Cardinals, Reds and Rays don’t have a set DH but have plenty of options who could rotate through the position. The Yankees could theoretically pursue Martinez and move Giancarlo Stanton to the bench. It’s hard to see that happening given the amount of money still owed to Stanton and the 110% tax they’d need to pay on top of Martinez’s salary. The Royals signed Hunter Renfroe to take a corner outfield spot and probably want to give regular run to MJ Melendez and Nelson Velázquez between left field and DH.

Unlikely To Add

A few teams have theoretical openings at DH but have already declared they’re unlikely to make any more notable acquisitions this offseason. Tigers GM Scott Harris said last week that the team doesn’t have “a ton of at-bats available for another everyday-type bat.” They’ll likely turn to Kerry Carpenter as the primary DH.

The Rangers lost Garver in free agency but seem to be up against their spending limit. Last year’s #4 overall pick Wyatt Langford isn’t far off the majors. Texas could rotate a handful of players through DH if they want Langford to get more seasoning in Triple-A. The Nationals haven’t done much this winter and could certainly incorporate another bat. GM Mike Rizzo more or less declared their offseason finished last week, though. Martinez might prioritize a more obvious contender anyhow.

Competitive Window/Payroll Questions

The White Sox, A’s and Rockies are not going to compete for a playoff spot in 2024. Of that trio, only Oakland has completely embraced a rebuild. Chicago and Colorado aren’t aggressively adding, though, and Martinez probably doesn’t want to sign with a clear non-contender at this stage of his career.

Miami lost Soler and hasn’t acquired a new DH. The Marlins haven’t brought in a major league free agent at all. It’s a disappointing offseason for the fanbase coming off a surprising Wild Card berth. Given their dearth of activity, it’s hard to imagine they bring in Martinez, even if he’d be a fairly direct replacement for their biggest offseason departure.

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MLBTR Originals J.D. Martinez

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NL East Notes: Culberson, E-Rod, Lugo, JDM, Mesa

By Mark Polishuk | February 10, 2024 at 12:52pm CDT

It wasn’t surprising that longtime clubhouse favorite Charlie Culberson rejoined the Braves on a minor league deal last month, though eyebrows were raised at the news that Culberson was attempting to become a pitcher after 11 MLB seasons as a utilityman.  In an interview with Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Culberson said he began to pursue a pitching in earnest last August when he was playing with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, and he wasn’t entirely alien to the process given his 7 1/3 career innings of mop-up work at the big league level.  “I loved pitching growing up, loved pitching through high school and here I am now getting a chance to try it on now toward — I’m not going to say ‘toward the end of my career’ but at this point in my career, I’m getting to try pitching,” Culberson said.

Culberson turns 35 in April, and Atlanta’s stacked lineup meant that he appeared in just one Major League game in 2023, despite several months on the active roster.  It remains to be seen if pitching will provide Culberson with any clearer path to playing time, yet his fastball clocks in at 94mph, and his repertoire also consists of a split changeup and a cutter.  He has also spent the last six months working with coaches and pitching instructors, and embracing the inherent difficulties of learning a new craft so deep into his career.

“For me, this has been a challenge making a position change, but I’m still playing baseball.  I know how tough that is transitioning, and I’m sure it would be probably tougher transitioning out of baseball,” Culberson said.  “Everything is just not gonna come easy for a lot of us in life, and at some point, you have to be ready and able to do something different, do something that’s not comfortable.  Get out of your comfort zone.”

More from around the NL East…

  • The Mets had some limited interest in Eduardo Rodriguez and old friend Seth Lugo this past offseason, The Athletic’s Will Sammon writes, though “neither exchange got serious.”  Apart from a serious push to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Mets generally stayed away from pursuing any longer-term contract candidates, as such explorations into players like Rodriguez and Lugo were more akin to routine due diligence.  Sammon notes that the same looks to be true of the Mets’ recent talks with J.D. Martinez, even if a probable one-year deal with Martinez would be less expensive than that it would’ve cost to land Rodriguez or Lugo.  E-Rod ended up signing with the Diamondbacks for four years and $80MM, while Lugo (who pitched for New York from 2016-22) inked a three-year, $45MM contract with the Royals.
  • Victor Victor Mesa was so highly touted as an international prospect that he received a $5.25MM bonus from the Marlins in 2018.  Despite all the hype, however, Mesa has hit only .233/.289/.289 over 1211 career plate appearances in the minors, and The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson writes that his time in the Marlins organization now looks to be over.  While there hasn’t been an official parting of the ways, the 27-year-old Mesa isn’t expected to attend Spring Training camp, and was temporarily placed on the restricted list last July after leaving the Triple-A team prior to the start of a series in Gwinnett.  Victor Mesa Jr. was also signed to a $1MM bonus at the same time as his older brother, and the younger Mesa has developed into an intriguing prospect, ranked by Baseball America as the sixth-best player in Miami’s farm system.
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Atlanta Braves Miami Marlins New York Mets Notes Charlie Culberson Eduardo Rodriguez J.D. Martinez Seth Lugo Victor Victor Mesa

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Mets Remain In Contact With J.D. Martinez

By Anthony Franco | February 7, 2024 at 7:01pm CDT

February 7: Andy Martino of SNY wrote this afternoon that while the Mets have indeed stayed in touch with Martinez, there’s still a significant gap between the sides financially.

February 6: The Mets have had continued dialogue with J.D. Martinez’s camp at the Boras Corporation, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post (X link). There’s no indication a deal is close or necessarily likely, but New York continues to evaluate the market for veteran hitters.

Last week, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reported the Mets were leaning towards relying on young bats like Brett Baty and Mark Vientos at the designated hitter spot. That came with the caveat that New York was amenable to jumping into the fray for a veteran free agent if the player’s asking price fell into the club’s comfort zone. It seems the front office is keeping in contact with Martinez regarding that possibility.

Martinez and Jorge Soler are the top unsigned DH options. While the latter has reportedly had recent discussions with the Giants, there’s not yet an agreement between the two sides. The Mets have only been loosely tied to Soler this offseason, while their reported interest in Martinez dates back to December.

A six-time All-Star, Martinez is coming off a strong year with the Dodgers. He connected on 33 home runs over 479 trips to the plate. His .271/.321/.572 batting line was his best since 2019. In a typical offseason, he might have received the qualifying offer from Los Angeles. The Dodgers knew they were preparing for a pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, so they didn’t chance a QO that could’ve tied up more than $20MM on another DH. Once Ohtani agreed to sign with L.A., that forced Martinez to look for a third team in as many years.

There are some concerns with Martinez, even as he profiles as one of the best offensive players still available. He’ll turn 37 in August and is essentially limited to DH. Martinez was never a good defensive outfielder and has only started one game in left field over the last two seasons.

Last year’s power resurgence also came at the cost of a few more whiffs. Martinez punched out in a personal-high 31.1% of his plate appearances. He only made contact on 67.5% of his swings, the lowest rate of his career. So long as he continues hitting the ball as hard as he did a year ago, the strikeouts aren’t a huge concern. They don’t leave much margin for error if he loses any bat speed, however.

During his last free agent trip, Martinez inked a fairly modest $10MM contract. That was below general expectations and it seemed as if he took a discount to go to L.A., where he reunited with his previous hitting instructor (and current Dodger hitting coach) Robert Van Scoyoc. His camp could look for a two-year deal this time around. Even if he’s limited to one-year offers, Martinez should surpass the $12.5MM that the Diamondbacks guaranteed Joc Pederson and could look to exceed the $23.5MM which Teoscar Hernández secured from the Dodgers.

The Mets are taxed at a 110% rate for any further spending. They’re well into the fourth tier of luxury penalization and facing the highest penalties as a third-time repeat payor. Steve Cohen’s ownership tenure has been marked by a willingness to spend, but the organization has taken a more targeted approach to free agency during David Stearns’ first offseason as baseball operations president. They’re trying to strike a balance of remaining on the border of playoff contention in 2024 while looking to ’25 as their target for a renewed full-fledged push.

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New York Mets Newsstand J.D. Martinez

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