The Athletic Predicts JD Martinez Sign With Dodgers' NL West Rival

L.A. would rather he didn't end up staying in the NL West...

One of the most productive members of the Dodgers last season was designated hitter J.D. Martinez. He signed with L.A. on a one-year, $10 million contract to boost his value around the league, and his plan worked to perfection.

In 113 games, Martinez hit .271 with 33 home runs and 103 runs batted in. With Shohei Ohtani in the mix for L.A. now, the Dodgers don’t have a need to bring Martinez back. So, the veteran will look elsewhere for 2024.

MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic is predicting that Martinez will end up staying in the NL West but with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“Martinez had to wait and see if the Dodgers landed Ohtani; if they hadn’t, in all likelihood he’d be re-signing with them. However, now it appears he might remain in the same division but join the NL champion Diamondbacks if the two sides can find common ground on a deal. Martinez was one of the best designated hitters in the league last season, with 33 home runs, 103 RBIs and a 134 OPS+. He has been to three consecutive All-Star games and continues to be a leader and mentor in the clubhouse.”

Per Jim Bowden of The Athletic

Martinez has been linked with Arizona for some time now, and this pairing does make a lot of sense. Arizona wants to bring in more of a veteran presence to the team, and Martinez could easily fill that role.

After reaching the World Series this past season, the Diamondbacks are determined to not make it a one-year achievement. They have a lot of talent on their roster, much of it young, and they are trying to take advantage of that.

They’ve already added infielder Eugenio Suárez to the mix, so Martinez would be another addition to help this offense. Arizona also signed free agent starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to help bolster their rotation.

The Diamondbacks seem like they are going to be a problem for years to come in the NL West, something that the Dodgers will need to deal with. Adding Martinez to the mix would be tough for L.A. fans to see, but it feels like a reunion makes too much sense.