Newly inked slugger J.D. Martinez is expected to accept a minor league assignment, possibly to Triple-A Syracuse, as he begins his ramp-up for the 2024 regular season. Initially reported by Joel Sherman of The New York Post, Martinez and the Mets came to the understanding that there was likely not enough time between when he signed and the start of the season for the former Los Angeles Dodger to adequately prepare himself.
Martinez’s one-year deal worth a total of $12 million with the Mets was initially reported by The Post’s Jon Heyman late on Thursday night. Martinez spent all of his 2023 campaign with the Dodgers, where he posted a .893 OPS with 33 home runs and 103 RBI.
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“Martinez gave advanced consent for a specific minor league stint, likely 10 days, to build the at-bats he missed by being unsigned for almost all of spring training,” Sherman wrote.
A ten-day stint in the minor leagues, whether in Triple-A or extended spring training, would place Martinez’s regular season debut around when the Mets head to Atlanta for their first series with the Braves in 2024.
The news of Martinez starting the year in the minor leagues also gives way for one player to make the Mets’ Opening Day roster that otherwise would have been optioned, with the most likely beneficiary being Mark Vientos. He has struggled at times this spring, but he currently leads the Mets in homers with five while producing a slash line of .226/.255/.547.
Beyond Vientos, other options to make the Mets while Martinez ramps up include veteran first basemen Luke Voit and Jiman Choi in addition to infielders Jose Iglesias and Zack Short. However, none of the aforementioned players have minor league options, meaning that selecting their contract just to later remove them from the roster for Martinez would likely result in the Mets losing valuable depth from their organization.
Ultimately, whoever cracks the Opening Day roster will likely lose their spot to Martinez once he is ready to make his debut with the Mets. The now 36-year-old will give the team their first full-time DH since the National League adopted the rule ahead of the 2022 campaign. The Mets have tried to platoon at that spot over the past few years with Daniel Vogelbach representing their most prominent bat at the position during that time frame. Ultimately, Martinez will be a staple in the lineup this season, which could make all the difference in the world for the offense.
