J.D. Martinez signs cheap 1-year deal with Mets

[Ely Sussman]

Martinez gets $12M guaranteed, but agreed to defer most of the money. Why couldn't the Marlins get him at that price?

The top bat remaining on the MLB free agent market, J.D. Martinez, finally found his new home on Thursday night, agreeing with the New York Mets on a one-year, $12M deal. His salary for the upcoming season will be a mere $4.5M with the rest being paid out a decade later (annual $1.5M installments from 2034-2038). The 36-year-old still has to pass his physical to make things official.

Martinez slashed .271/.321/.572 (135 wRC+) with 33 HR and 103 RBI in 113 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Ever since they signed Shohei Ohtani to be their designated hitter in December, it's been apparent that Martinez would need to find another employer.

The Miami Marlins seemed like a natural fit for the South Florida native. The Marlins weren't comfortable paying market value to retain All-Star designated hitter Jorge Soler, but Martinez's age and troublesome strikeout rate in 2023 made him a cheaper alternative. Per Craig Mish of SportsGrid, he was seeking a two-year deal in talks with the Fish earlier this month. Even in what's been a cruel market for hitters, it is hard to believe that Martinez had to ultimately settle for a one-year contract with a present-day value that's approximately the same as his previous deal.

How could the Marlins pass on Martinez at such an efficient price tag?

Well, some of Martinez's offensive contributions would have been negated by the club's defensive clumsiness. Occupying the DH spot would've forced Josh Bell and Jake Burger to handle the corner infield spots practically every day. Without Martinez, there is a lot more flexibility—Jon Berti can get occasional reps at the hot corner, Nick Gordon can fill in for Luis Arraez at second when he's giving Bell a breather at first, etc.

On the other hand, Martinez is a hitting savant who still seemingly has a lot left in the tank. The quality of his contact is as impressive as ever. Imagine the intangible benefits of having him around the clubhouse as somebody who's gone from sub-replacement-level player early in his career to MLB's fifth-leading home run hitter over the last 10 years. It's like hiring another assistant hitting coach. He could've taken Avisaíl García's roster spot, an indisputable upgrade for the Marlins even if some age-related regression is probable in 2024.

Too often, we analyze rosters as if they are always going to be at full strength. That's rarely how it plays out in reality. Even if there would be some redundancy between Martinez, Bell and Burger when they're all healthy, what if one of them goes on the injured list at any point? A signing like this would add crucial lineup depth for a Marlins organization that is thin on quality hitters to call up from the minors.

In the aftermath of recent pitching staff injuries, expectations for the Marlins must be tempered. A great J.D. Martinez campaign would not assure them a postseason berth or even a .500 record. But that's the beauty of a one-year deal: you can move him at the trade deadline! Peter Bendix inherited a depleted farm system and has done virtually nothing to add talent to it thus far. Signing short-term free agents allows you to address that indirectly. A player who has a résumé and reputation like Martinez does would be especially appealing to contenders in July and bring back prospects with all of their club control still ahead of them.

Instead, the Marlins have the challenge of facing Martinez head-to-head up to 13 times this season. And if the Mets fall out of the race (again), at least he'll be a trade asset for them.

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