The New York Mets have been engaged in ongoing discussions with J.D. Martinez’s representatives at the Boras Corporation, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (X link). While no deal is imminent or certain, the Mets are actively assessing the market for experienced hitters.
Recently, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reported that the Mets were leaning towards relying on young players like Brett Baty and Mark Vientos as designated hitters. However, the team remains open to pursuing a veteran free agent if their asking price aligns with the Mets’ financial comfort zone. It appears that the front office is maintaining contact with Martinez to explore this possibility.
Martinez and Jorge Soler are the top designated hitter options who remain unsigned. While Soler has reportedly engaged in discussions with the San Francisco Giants, no agreement has been reached. The Mets have shown only limited interest in Soler during this offseason, whereas their interest in Martinez dates back to December.
Martinez, a six-time All-Star, is coming off a successful season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit 33 home runs in 479 plate appearances and posted a batting line of .271/.321/.572, his best since 2019. In a typical offseason, Martinez may have received a qualifying offer from the Dodgers. However, with the team pursuing Shohei Ohtani, they chose not to risk tying up more than $20 million on another designated hitter. Consequently, Martinez is now seeking his third team in as many years.
Despite Martinez’s offensive prowess, there are some concerns. He will turn 37 in August and is primarily limited to the designated hitter role due to his defensive limitations. Martinez has never been a strong outfielder and has started only one game in left field over the past two seasons.
While Martinez experienced a power surge last year, it came with an increase in strikeouts. He struck out in a personal-high 31.1% of his plate appearances and made contact on only 67.5% of his swings, the lowest rate of his career. As long as he continues to hit the ball with the same force as last year, the strikeouts may not be a major issue. However, any decline in bat speed could leave little room for error.
During his previous free agency, Martinez signed a relatively modest $10 million contract. This was below initial expectations, suggesting that he may have taken a discount to join the Dodgers and reunite with his former hitting instructor, Robert Van Scoyoc, who is now the Dodgers’ hitting coach. This time around, Martinez’s camp may seek a two-year deal. Even if limited to one-year offers, Martinez is likely to surpass the $12.5 million guaranteed to Joc Pederson by the Diamondbacks and could potentially exceed the $23.5 million secured by Teoscar Hernández from the Dodgers.
The Mets are currently subject to a 110% luxury tax rate for any additional spending. As a third-time repeat payor, they face the highest penalties and are well into the fourth tier of luxury penalization. While owner Steve Cohen has demonstrated a willingness to spend, the organization is taking a more targeted approach to free agency under the leadership of baseball operations president David Stearns. The Mets aim to strike a balance between remaining competitive for the playoffs in 2024 while focusing on a full-fledged push in 2025.