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