New York Mets 'Eyeing' All-Star Slugger In Free Agency
The New York Mets are in need of bats this winter and one name they are showing interest could help boost their lineup.
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Mets are "eyeing" All-Star designated hitter J.D. Martinez.
Martinez is coming off a bounce-back year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, in which he made the NL All-Star team and slashed .271/.321/.572 with a .893 OPS, 33 home runs and 103 RBIs.
However, Martinez is entering his age-37 season in 2024 and has dealt with back issues over the past several campaigns. He also reunited with his old hitting coach, Robert Van Scoyoc, in Los Angeles, which could have led to his bounce-back season.
Regardless, the Mets need help on offense, and on paper the addition of Martinez in the DH slot would be an upgrade compared to what they have had over the past two seasons. Ever since the DH position was implemented in the NL in 2022, the Mets have lacked production out of this spot. Martinez, based off his track record, could fix that.
The Mets missed out on their top free agent target in superstar starting pitcher from Japan Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But there are still opportunities to improve their roster, which has a lot of holes. Martinez would be a start.