Seattle Mariners Reportedly Not Pursuing Free Agent Slugger and Former All-Star to Help Offense
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Earlier this week, the crew over at MLB Network speculated that free agent slugger J.D. Martinez could be a good fit for the Seattle Mariners. This is in response to the M's dire need for offense, which is made worse by the long-term injuries to Victor Robles and Ryan Bliss.
And while Martinez could certainly make sense in the M's lineup, he's reportedly not in the plans, per a report from Adam Jude of the Seattle Times.
Seen some speculation linking the Mariners and J.D. Martinez, so checked in with some folks.
Not happening.
Seen some speculation linking the Mariners and J.D. Martinez, so checked in with some folks.
— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) April 11, 2025
Not happening.
It's unclear what the reason is for not pursuing Martinez, but it is easy to understand that he'd be a tough roster fit. The M's already have Jorge Polanco, who is stuck in a DH role right now, and they have Rowdy Tellez and Dom Canzone, who both can serve that role too. The M's don't have a lot of room for another DH-only player.
It is, however, interesting to note that Martinez has had great success at T-Mobile Park through his career. This note came from @KickDirtBB:
JD Martinez Career at T-Mobile Park
156 PA
.319/.387/.558 (.945 OPS)
9 HR
.239 ISO
155 wRC+
It’s not happening, but sheesh…
JD Martinez Career at T-Mobile Park
— Kick Dirt Baseball (@KickDirtBB) April 11, 2025
156 PA
.319/.387/.558 (.945 OPS)
9 HR
.239 ISO
155 wRC+
It’s not happening, but sheesh… pic.twitter.com/719Yn7O1Jx
A 14-year veteran of the Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, Martinez has been one of the most productive players in baseball over the last several years.
A three-time Silver Slugger winner, he owns a .283 lifetime average. He's popped 331 homers and driven in 1,071 runs. He has five seasons with 30 homers or more, including two of 40 or more. He also led baseball in RBIs (130) back in 2018. Martinez has five seasons of more than 100 RBI and is a six-time All-Star. He helped the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series.
He had 33 homers for the Dodgers just two seasons ago and then signed a one-year deal with the Mets before the 2024 season, hitting .235 with 16 homers and 69 RBI. He helped the Mets get to the National League Championship Series and is universally regarded as a good clubhouse presence.
The Mariners will play the Rangers again on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. PT.
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