The Los Angeles Dodgers had the right idea. The Dodgers acquired a “veteran big bat” in free agency ahead of this season. It was J.D. Martinez, 36.
Martinez is in his 13th season in the major leagues. First breaking into the big leagues in 2011 with the Houston Astros, Martinez broke out in his first season with the Detroit Tigers in 2014, hitting .315 with 23 home runs and 76 RBIs, then exploded in 2015, hitting .282 with 38 home runs and 102 RBIs to earn his first career All-Star selection, and peaked in 2017, hitting .303 with 45 home runs and 104 RBIs for Detroit and the Arizona Diamondbacks, tying his career high for home runs in a single season.굿모닝토토 도메인
After signing a five-year, $110 million free agent contract with the Boston Red Sox, Martinez exploded for a .330 batting average with 43 home runs and 130 RBIs in 2018, winning the American League batting title and becoming the first player to win the Silver Slugger Award as both an outfielder and designated hitter. After batting .278 with one home run and five RBIs in the World Series, Martinez hit .304 with 36 home runs and 105 RBIs in 2019, but took a downward turn last year, hitting .274 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs, which led to his departure from Boston.
The Dodgers were the first team to reach out to Martinez. After signing a one-year, $10 million deal, Martinez exploded for a .271 batting average with 33 homers and 103 RBIs, his first 30-homer, 100-RBI season since 2019. His major league career numbers are .297 with 315 homers and 1002 RBIs. It was his most significant season yet, as he surpassed the 300-homer and 1,000-RBI milestones for the Dodgers.
Martinez is back in free agency after a one-year deal with the Dodgers, but it’s unlikely he’ll stay with the Dodgers. This is because of the ‘two-hit monster’ Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani is one of the biggest names in free agency this winter, and the local media is already speculating that the Dodgers are the only team that can afford his $500 million contract. If Ohtani were to join the Dodgers, he would most likely play designated hitter. Martinez was the Dodgers’ designated hitter this year, so there’s no reason for the Dodgers to hold onto Martinez if they sign Ohtani.
Even though Martinez is unlikely to stay with the Dodgers, he is likely to be a popular choice in free agency. Major League Baseball’s official website, MLB.com, assigned “tiers” to free agents on Wednesday, with Ohtani as the only “Tier 1” player and Martinez’s name among the 10 “Tier 2” players.
“Despite playing in just 113 games this year, Martinez has 33 home runs, 103 RBIs and an OPS of .893,” MLB.com wrote. Even at 36 years old, Martinez is clearly an impact hitter who can help the offense.” Martinez’s value is clear.
Martinez, who was recently ranked ninth in MLB.com’s free-agent rankings, has three potential destinations: the Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, and New York Mets. The Dodgers could approach Martinez again if they miss out on Ohtani, and the Angels need to fill the void left by Ohtani. The Mets, who have used Daniel Vogelback primarily as a designated hitter, are also in need of offensive reinforcements. It will be interesting to see which uniform Martinez will wear next year to put on a home run show.