The New York Mets and veteran slugger J.D. Martinez have agreed on a one-year, $12 million contract per the Post’s Jon Heyman.
Breaking: JD Martinez to Mets. $12M
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 22, 2024
Martinez, 36, is a six-time All-Star and hit .271 with an .893 OPS and a 135 wRC+ with the Dodgers last year. He still has plenty of life in his swing, having clubbed 33 home runs in Los Angeles in just 113 games. He notched his 1,000th career RBI in 2023 and has 315 home runs. Martinez has also played for the Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Tigers, and Astros in 13 years.
Opening Day at home versus Milwaukee is only a week away, but JD Martinez has hit everywhere he’s gone. He should be the everyday designated hitter in Flushing. Maybe not immediately, but very soon.
This is the exact signing the Mets needed this offseason. J.D. Martinez doesn’t make them an immediate World Series contender, and they may not be a lock for the playoffs either. He does, however, give Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor some first-rate protection in the lineup. His strong righty swing will be a great fit in Citi Field.
Moreover, Martinez’s championship experience has value on the Mets, even if a Wild Card is their ceiling. He won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2018 and is known to be a good teammate. Not necessarily a traditional leader, that’s Pete Alonso’s job, but J.D. Martinez’s presence in the Mets’ locker room would be more akin to Jake Taylor in Major League.
And let’s not forget the numbers. Martinez is a .287 career hitter and the Mets ranked 26th in batting average last season. One way or another, he boosts a lineup that already ranked 10th in home runs last year.
The Mets host the Brewers at 1:10 p.m. ET on March 28.
