Potential D-backs Free Agency Target: J.D. Martinez
This article is part of a series evaluating potential free agent and trade acquisitions for the Arizona Diamondbacks entering the 2025 season.
J.D. Martinez, DH, 37 years old
J.D. Martinez is an Arizona Diamondbacks legend. Though his time with the club was short, having only spent half of the 2017 season with the team, his mark has been left forever. Now, over seven years later, could he return to the valley?
Martinez is not the same hitter he was in 2017, when he belted 21 home runs in the second half of the season alone. He is now a more seasoned hitter, taking tours around the league, but keeping him fresh enough to prepare for his age-38 season in 2025.
Formerly an outfielder by trade, the right-handed slugger should exclusively see time at the DH position. His defensive metrics have never been great, but in recent years he has seen no playing time in the field.
This works perfectly for the Diamondbacks who have one of the most crowded outfield mixes in MLB. They posses a wealth of young outfield talent such as Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas, but also some more experienced veterans like Lourdes Gurriel Jr. who would make up the vast majority of playing time.
DH, on the other hand, is a freshly opened hole for Arizona. Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk filled the role masterfully in 2024, combining to be MLB's third most productive DH group. Now both are Free Agents and should find themselves with a large payday, potentially placing themselves outside of the D-backs' price range.
2024 was an off year for Martinez. He signed late in the offseason, similar to other Diamondback Jordan Montgomery. He ended up joining the Mets, but needed to start the year in AAA to build up for the regular season.
Coming off a 135 wRC+ year with the Dodgers in 2023, Martinez demanded a pretty penny, signing for $12 million with the New York Mets. There he did not replicate his prior performance. In 2024 he hit to a 108 wRC+.
This was still a positive figure, but was far from his previous elite totals. His power was crushed with New York, dropping from 33 home runs in 2023 to only 16 in 2024. For an aging player, this dive in production is worrisome and might deter many from pursuing Martinez in the open market.
Other numbers showed some positive shifts in his game though. Martinez's walk rate rose by 2%, and his strikeout rate dropped by 3%. Additionally his BABIP (batting average on balls in play) dropped from .324 in 2023, to .308 in 2024, his second lowest in a full season of baseball.
How does he fit?
The Diamondbacks desperately need to replace production that is lost with the departure of Randal Grichuk and Joc Pederson. Few players on the market have the upside of a bounceback campaign from J.D. Martinez.
The veteran influence that Martinez could bring to Arizona's clubhouse would be a large factor. Not only has he had a presence with the Diamondbacks before, but the new and improved group has a much younger core which feeds off veteran mentors.
Projections estimate that Martinez will demand a $9 million figure this winter, significantly cheaper than some other options on the market. That number could vary on other signings around his, but it is certainly in an attainable range for the D-backs who could still look to free up money.
Another option would be for the Diamondbacks to platoon Martinez at DH with Pavin Smith. Smith had a breakout campign in 2024, and will expand in his role with the team in 2025.
In 2024 he crushed right-handed pitching, posting a .920 OPS with 8 home runs against them. This gels nicely with Martinez, who had only a .683 OPS against right-handers, compared to a solid .836 against southpaws.
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