New York Mets Feel Like 'Long Shot' To Land Free Agent Superstar Slugger
It doesn't sound like this move will come to fruition for the New York Mets.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post, it looks to be a long shot that the Mets sign star free agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez, and instead are likely to roll with youngster Mark Vientos at the spot, as well as using it to provide semi-rest for some of their star players.
Martinez is coming off a big bounce-back year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he made the All-Star team for the sixth time in his impressive career. He reunited with his former hitting coach, Robert Van Scoyoc, and was able to prove he was still a productive slugger after a down year in Boston in 2022.
While Martinez would be a significant upgrade for the Mets' lineup, he is turning 37-years-old in August and has been hampered by back spasms across the past twos seasons. He also provides zero positional versatility, as his sole purpose would be to just mash at the plate everyday.
So if the Mets don't bring in Martinez, the plan will be to see what they have in Vientos, which seems to be where things are trending.
Keep in mind, Vientos has tremendous power, hitting 65 home runs in the past three minor league seasons, only playing in more than 83 games once. Although he has yet to tap into his potential at the big-league level, .205/.255/.354, .610 OPS, 10 homers, 25 RBIs in 81 career games, he smashed nine long balls in just 65 games last season, so there is some promise there, and he is just 24-years-old.
The Mets, who have made it clear that 2024 is a transition year, want to see what they have in their young prospects such as Vientos, Brett Baty, who also struggled last season, and catcher Francisco Alvarez, a 25 home run hitter that had a rough second half. For that, all signs are pointing towards them not being in on Martinez.
