J.D. Martinez has long been linked with the New York Mets and he is exactly the type of player that could help solve their very real power problem in 2023.
It has been a significant offseason for the Mets who have made a very real statement with their spending. Owner Steve Cohen has flexed his financial might by committing over $300 million on payroll for the 2023 season. That has allowed the front office to re-sign star closer Edwin Diaz and outfielder Brandon Nimmo, as well as add the likes of Justin Verlander, David Robertson, Kodai Senga, José Quintana and Omar Narváez.
However, the Mets don’t appear to be done yet and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently reported that Cohen believes his team need to add more offense to their lineup for the 2023 season. Rosenthal mentioned Martinez and former Met Michael Conforto as two names the Mets are currently interested in.
We profiled Martinez as a free agent target earlier this offseason, which you can read here, and we’ve also covered in-depth why the Mets really do need to add more power to their lineup if they are to be serious contenders for the World Series in 2023. Martinez ticks a lot of boxes and could help address what was a fatal flaw in 2022.
The Mets tied for 15th in home runs last year with just 171 and they also finished with the fifth-worst hard-hit rate in MLB at 28.6%, per Fangraphs. Furthermore, this team got basically zero production from their designated hitters in 2022. As a collective group, the DH hit just .218/.314/.371 with 18 home runs and 183 strikeouts. Perhaps more importantly, though, the bats went cold at key points during both the regular season and in the postseason.
You can’t win without the long ball and Martinez has built a career based on taking the cover off the baseball. The slugger has blasted 282 home runs in a 12-year career and he’s excelled as a DH. The veteran also absolutely mashes against lefties with a career .306/.377/.579/.957 slash line against LHP, to go along with 87 home runs, 95 doubles and 270 RBI. The Mets could either look to use Martinez as part of a platoon at DH with Daniel Vogelbach, who hits well against righties, or look to trade Vogelbach for outfield help and use Martinez as an everyday designated hitter.
Martinez was an All-Star every year he was with the Boston Red Sox, except for 2020 when there was no Midsummer Classic. He made the All-Star Game in 2022 after hitting .302/.368/.481/.849 with 30 doubles, nine homers and 38 RBI during the first-half of the season. Now, granted, the righty did regress slightly in the second-half of the season with a .233/.301/.400/.701 slash line and seven home runs and 24 RBI.
However, despite his sudden decrease in power in 2022 with just 16 home runs in total, Martinez still finished as one of the best designated hitters in baseball in 2022 having ranked 10th in wRC+ (119) among DH’s with a minimum of 400 PA in 2022. Plus, he also hit 28 homers as recently as 2021 so that suggests that the power didn’t just disappear overnight. Instead, Martinez could just benefit from a change of scenery and his game may be revitalized by having the chance to compete for a World Series with a legit contender.
When looking at Martinez’s potential fit with the Mets, it is also important to point out that the slugger can contribute in other ways too. Rather than just being a one-trick pony, Martinez boasts a career .352 on-base percentage and can also put the ball in play and get on base at a high-rate. He had an on-base percentage of .341 in 2022, including a .368 OBP during the first-half of the season, and he sneakily ripped a career-high 43 doubles last year. That is a player who can impact the game in a multitude of different ways.
According to Spotrac.com. Martinez is projected to land a two-year deal with an average annual salary of $15.1 million. It may be that the Mets could get the veteran to sign a one-year deal with a slightly lower average annual salary and an option for 2024 in return for the opportunity to compete for a championship next year. But, be it a one or two-year contract, it would be a low-risk, high-reward kind of deal for both parties.
It can’t be stressed enough that the Mets need to address their lack of power this offseason or risk falling short in 2023, which would represent a major failure given their spending spree this winter. While Martinez is just one player, he can hit for power, he’ll add a big bat to the middle of the lineup and there’s no reason why he can’t hit between 25-30 home runs. Plus, he can also get on base at a high-rate, he’ll hit doubles for fun and he can either be the everyday DH or be part of a platoon with Vogelbach. No matter which way you look at it, Martinez would address a very real need for this team while also being able to bring other skillsets to the table.
