J.D. Martinez, a seasoned slugger, is perhaps the player whose market has been most affected by the presence of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani among the top free agents available this offseason. After all, despite their desire for a reunion, the Dodgers turned down Martinez’s qualifying offer last month because of the potential complexities that could arise if the team signed both Martinez and Ohtani. It’s difficult to imagine a Dodgers-Martinez reunion now that Ohtani has committed to a record-breaking $700MM deal in Los Angeles, even though both parties seemed interested in working together. In light of the fact that Martinez is unlikely to return to Chavez Ravine, Jon Heyman of the New York Post offered an update on his market, speculating that the Angels, Mariners, Mets, and Diamondbacks may be among the teams vying for his services. Only Arizona had previously been linked to the seasoned slugger this winter among that group.
The knowledge that Ohtani will not be returning to Anaheim in 2024 makes the Angels a logical contender for Martinez. After all, the team has stated unequivocally that they do not intend to begin a rebuilding project this offseason, and they have also refuted rumors that Ohtani’s impending departure may prompt the trade of Mike Trout. Ohtani’s 2024 departure and the team’s dismal 73-89 record in 2023 mean the club will need to put in a lot of work if it wants to contend for a postseason berth the following year.
Of course, Trout, Logan O’Hoppe, and Anthony Rendon’s better health could represent internal paths to progress, but it’s difficult to see the Angels contending without an outside offensive addition to help offset Ohtani’s loss. Martinez, who was outperformed only by Ohtani and Marcell Ozuna among regulars at DH last season, would go a long way toward covering the offensive void left by Ohtani. Martinez slashed.271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and a 135 wRC+.
Regarding the Mariners, the addition of Martinez would undoubtedly help a lineup that did not have a clear everyday replacement for any of the bats that Teoscar Hernandez, Jarred Kelenic, Eugenio Suarez, and Mike Ford lost this offseason. Additionally, the team has made significant payroll cuts this offseason and was previously linked to fellow right-handed hitter Jorge Soler. In 2023, Martinez, 36, outperformed Soler, 31, in terms of offensive production, and he may have a greater influence on Seattle’s starting lineup in 2024.
Nevertheless, the Mariners have expressed a desire to strengthen the lineup’s contact ability going into 2024, and Soler’s strikeout rate of 25.7% seems much more reasonable than Martinez’s strikeout rate of 31.4% from the previous campaign. Furthermore, it’s important to keep in mind that despite MLBTR’s projection of Soler for a $45MM guarantee—which is higher than Martinez’s $40MM figure on our annual Top 50 MLB free agents list—Soler’s relative youth may allow him to sign a longer contract than Martinez, which would lower the deal’s average annual value and possibly free up more money for the Mariners to spend on offensive additions.
Of the teams on the list, the Mets are arguably the most peculiar fit for Martinez. Even though the team’s DH slot produced a mediocre 100 wRC+ last season—the 12th-worst figure in the majors—and they parted ways with Daniel Vogelbach at the non-tender deadline last month, it’s important to remember that the team has a number of young bats, like Mark Vientos and Brett Baty, who could command playing time in the upcoming season. It may not be the best use of the club’s resources to add a 36-year-old DH to a team that is more concerned with the future than 2024. However, only three regular players for the Mets—Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and Brandon Nimmo—who finished above average in wRC+ last season will still be with the team in 2024. Martinez’s bat would provide much-needed offensive firepower to the middle of the club’s lineup the following season, and it would also help the team compete in what is likely to be Alonso’s final season before he hits free agency the following winter.