Inside The Mets

Recent Mets DH J.D. Martinez Says 'Computer' Doesn't Like Aging Veterans

J.D. Martinez remains a free agent after a season as the New York Mets designated hitter, and says that front office's don't value aging veterans as they once did.

Troy Brock

Oct 14, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (28) warms up before game two against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium.
Oct 14, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (28) warms up before game two against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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The New York Mets have made a plethora of moves this offseason to improve their roster and take another bite of the apple in 2025.

The biggest move they made, and perhaps the biggest move this offseason, was signing superstar outfielder Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract, the largest in the history of professional sports.

Designated hitter J.D. Martinez remains a free agent after spending 2024 with the Mets. The 2025 season will be the veteran's age-37 campaign, and his production saw a steep decline from how he has performed across his lengthy career.

After regaling Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the tale of how he pushed New York to call up veteran infielder Jose Iglesias last season on the New York Post podcast, "The Show," Martinez was asked about this stint in free agency and if he thinks aging veterans are not valued as they should be.

"I just think it's one of those things where they all have the same algorithm," Martinez responded, "they all punch it in and everything spits out the same thing... All of a sudden as you get older, the computer doesn't like you as much and everything kind of slows down and the market slows down."

While age does certainly play a factor in teams being reluctant to sign a player in free agency, ability certainly comes into play, too. A player's peak ability generally runs from the age of 26 through 29, and once they are on the wrong side of 30, they begin to decline.

That is, of course, not a set-in-stone rule, but it is widely the case for many players. Martinez is a prime example of that. Debuting at 23, he posted an 88 OPS+ from 23-25. From ages 26-29, he posted a 150 OPS+, and since turning 30 he has posted a 131 OPS+.

A 131 OPS+ is nothing to shake a stick at by any means, but it is buoyed by a 173 mark in the metric that Martinez posted in 2018, his age 30 campaign. Without that year, his OPS+ drops to 123 from 2019 through 2024, with a 106 in his time with the Mets.

Age can certainly keep front offices from doling out contracts to veterans, but that did not stop the Boston Red Sox from extending David Ortiz at 38-years-old. With Martinez now 37 after his August birthday, age is still just a number. It is more likely that the decline in all of the other numbers on the back of his baseball card has kept him a free agent.

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Troy Brock
TROY BROCK

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