Might the former star of the Red Sox soon arrive in New York?
One former star of the Boston Red Sox seems to be on the verge of moving to New York.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, former Red Sox great J.D. Martinez is apparently talking about a potential deal with the New York Mets and is shockingly still searching for his next opportunity.
“The Mets are among teams talking to star free agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez, and word is the interest is mutual, sources tell The Post,” Heyman said. “Mets owner Steve Cohen has apparently given the go-ahead to seriously discuss Martinez even though the Mets are over the fourth-tier, so-called ‘Steve Cohen tax,’ and they’d have to pay a 110 percent tax on any new deals.
“The Mets like Martinez as a potential answer to solving a long-running lineup issue of protection for star cleanup man Pete Alonso, but other teams, including the Angels, remain involved for the hitting star.”
After five seasons in Boston, Martinez spent the 2023 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he made an impression. The 36-year-old was selected for his sixth career All-Star team after launching 33 home runs and driving in 103 runs.
Martinez has been linked to New York on several occasions, but for some reason he is still available. It would make sense to relocate to New York in order to provide slugger Pete Alonso with additional power in the middle of the lineup.
Martinez obviously still has some pop in his bat and may be a huge asset to a team, even though he doesn’t provide any defensive value at this stage of his career.