Report: Former Red Sox, Dodgers slugger 'didn't want' to join SF Giants

Before signing DH Jorge Soler, the SF Giants offered a contract to former Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers slugger J.D. Martinez, per Jon Heyman.

Marc Delucchi | Feb 23, 2024

Report: Former Red Sox, Dodgers slugger 'didn't want' to join SF Giants /

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San Francisco Giants

Before landing top free-agent designated hitter Jorge Soler to a three-year, $42 million contract, the SF Giants made an offer to another prominent free agent slugger. According to a report by Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Giants offered Los Angeles Dodgers free agent slugger J.D. Martinez (#18-ranked free agent) a contract. However, the six-time All-Star was not interested in joining the Orange-and-Black, according to Heyman.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez reacts after hitting a three-run home run against the SF Giants at Oracle Park. (2023) — Dodgers DH J.D. Martinez celebrates hitting a home run against the SF Giants. (2023) / John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

"Before the Giants signed Jorge Soler, they made an offer to J.D. Martinez," Heyman wrote. "Word is the ex-Dodger didn’t want to go there. The Rangers are a potential fit for Martinez."

It's a bit confusing that Heyman did not report the reason for Martinez's seeming disinterest in joining the Giants. Given recent narratives surrounding the city of San Francisco, the report could reinvigorate that tiring conversation. However, given where Martinez is at in his career, a 36-year-old 13-year veteran who has earned roughly $150 million in MLB salaries, it seems far more likely that he is prioritizing signing with a team that he is confident will contend next season. The fact that he signed with the Dodgers last offseason and is seemingly interested in joining the reigning World Series champs in Arlington would align with that as well.

Earlier in the offseason, many insiders believed the Giants were a "strong fit" for Martinez. Despite his age, he showed no signs of slowing down this past season with the Dodgers. He missed a few weeks with a groin and heel issue during the season but still finished with 33 home runs and a .271/.321/.572 line in 113 games. More advanced numbers backed up his excellent production as well. Martinez's batted-ball data ranked in the 90th percentile or better in several key stats, like hard-hit rate, xSLG, and xwOBA.

His 2023 production was far from a surprise. Over the past three seasons, Martinez has maintained a .847 OPS, which is slightly down from his career .287/.350/.524 triple-slash. Nevertheless, he was uninterested in joining the SF Giants, so they shifted their attention to Jorge Soler, who is now slated to be a staple in the team's lineup for the next three season.

Published Feb 23, 2024

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).