J.D. Martinez Joins Mets in Late Night Free Agent Splash
The New York Mets signed slugger J.D. Martinez to a one-year contract worth $12 million. The contract is incentive-laden as Martinez will make roughly $4.5 million this season, and the rest will be deferred through the years 2034 – 2038 according to reports.
Adding Martinez is a huge boon for the Mets who were not looking too good offensively in Spring Training. The Mets were hoping Mark Vientos would grab the bull by the proverbial horns this spring as the full-time DH but it hasn’t worked out.
While Vientos led the team with four homers in Spring, he was hitting only .205 in Grapefruit League action. The Mets as a team were hitting only .233 this spring.
J.D. Martinez is no spring chicken, he’s 36. Yet in 113 games last season with the LA Dodgers, Martinez crushed 33 home runs. He is a six-time All-Star, who has been selected to the All-Star Game in each of the last three seasons.
For a team that has a number of veteran players (Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil) under long-term contracts, plus a free-agent-to-be in Pete Alonso, the Mets send a huge message that they are indeed in the business of winning this season, despite opinions to the contrary.
Give credit to Owner Steve Cohen and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns. Both played their cards very tight to the vest all off-season and Spring.
Cohen indicated that it was “late” for the Mets to consider adding someone to the roster when rumors started swirling about the possibility of adding Martinez. Stearns has kept a poker face whenever asked about whether the team intends to compete in 2024 or not.
All of sudden a glum outlook for the Mets 2024 fortunes doesn’t look so glum after all!
The Mets may not be a great team, but they are fully aware that in a sport with an expanded playoff field, anything is possible. Last season the Arizona Diamondbacks made the playoffs with 83 wins and went all the way to the World Series.
With less than a week to go before Opening Day, hope has finally sprung for Mets fans.
