Dodgers News: Dave Roberts is Grateful to Have JD Martinez's Veteran Presence on This Team
The Dodgers enter 2023 with a very different team than the one that won 111 games last season. Longtime Dodgers Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger are gone, and so too are top 2022 performers Trea Turner, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney.
Those guys were replaced with some veterans like J.D. Martinez, Noah Syndergaard, Miguel Rojas and David Peralta, and some young guys like Miguel Vargas and James Outman.
With all the roster turnover, it's very important to have strong veteran presences in the locker room — especially with the loss of the clubhouse leader Justin Turner. That's why Dodgers manager Dave Roberts feels extra grateful by the addition of Martinez, a longtime MLB veteran who is making a positive impact in the clubhouse.
"When you lose guys that have been around and had experience (like a Justin Turner), to fill that void with somebody who's also as accomplished as the other guys, I think adds a little bit of, I don't know, calmness is not the right word, but it just adds that kind of confidence to the clubhouse, I think. And it's a different perspective, different experiences. J.D. is an extension of me and the coaches. I mean, he and Robert (Von Scoyoc) have a great relationship and he's always kind of speaking the right thing. So just very additive having him on the club."
Martinez already made a huge impact in the offseason, working with the rookie Vargas in Florida. Also, he's been a big help in the clubhouse during spring, and will only continue to work with his teammates as the season progresses.
It's always nice for the coaches to have a player who's able to relate to and mentor his teammates, and it seems like Martinez is going to do just that in his first season in Los Angeles. And at the end of the day, all of that will just be a bonus to the production he adds on the field.
