Is Martinez the avatar of the Mets in 2024?
Despite what Max Scherzer was told in order to waive his no-trade clause, the Mets always insisted, at least in public, that they were going to attempt to field a playoff team in 2024. This may have seemed like wishful thinking at times, especially without significant signings that act as the most surefire way to hype a fanbase up to expect a winning season.
But when J.D. Martinez signed a one-year, $12 million deal late in spring training, the Mets made their most compelling argument for competition this season. Simply put, if the team didn’t want to win, they would never have signed Martinez.
Martinez, as our Chris McShane detailed, lengthens the Mets’ lineup nicely, giving Pete Alonso some protection and allowing some of the younger hitters in the organization time to develop. He may be the best pure hitter on the team, and never really stopped hitting, no matter where he played.
Dismissing 2020’s small sample size, Martinez hasn’t had an OPS+ of under 117 since 2014, and 117 was easily his worst year (2022) since becoming a full-time player. His career average slash line of .287/.350/.524 tells the story: the guy is a complete hitter who can get on base, put the bat on the ball, and hit with power.
There’s a famous baseball expression that there is no such thing as a bad one-year contract, and that doubly goes for a perennial All-Star with 30-home run potential and for just $12 million. Even if Martinez totally falls apart this year, the worst thing you can say for him is that maybe – maybe – he blocked Mark Vientos from getting more big league at-bats. Vientos needs more time in the minors, so this is probably a long term plus for him.
With his arrival, the Mets have a clearer plan for offensive success in 2024, did so without mortgaging their future in dollars, years, or in prospects. This is as close to a slam dunk, no dispute deal as I can remember the Mets doing. Our Lukas Vlahos gave the signing an A grade, and it is hard to argue with that.
And so, it looks like the Mets are trying to compete in 2024. If the Mets do win big in 2024, it seems like Martinez will likely be a big piece of that. Let’s hope that his arrival is the first piece in what David Stearns and co. will do throughout this season to improve the club.