Veteran Slugger Viewed as Piece 'Who Protects' Mets Superstar Alonso in Lineup
One of the major issues with the New York Mets' last season revolved around their struggles at the plate.
They ranked 27th in total hits (1,276), 25th in batting average (.238), 19th in RBI (692) and 18th in OPS (.723).
For the expectations that were placed on the Mets, that offensive performance was not good enough and became one of the reasons why they finished fourth in the NL East and 12 games below .500.
While New York isn't viewing themselves as true contenders heading into the 2024 season and will not commit to large, long-term contracts, that doesn't mean they aren't looking for some roster additions this winter.
One player who could be a great fit for this lineup is veteran slugger J.D. Martinez.
The 36-year-old is coming off his third-straight All-Star selection and put together a great season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, slashing .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and 103 RBI.
This was his best slugging season since 2019 when he hit 36 homers and drove in 105 runs with the Boston Red Sox.
That's why Jon Heyman of The New York Post thinks Martinez would be a great addition to this lineup in front of their star slugger.
"Martinez would solve the long-running issue of who protects Pete Alonso in the lineup," he says.
How much the Mets would be willing to pay the veteran, and what Martinez is looking for in his next deal, could prevent this from getting done.
The slugger is coming off a season where he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Dodgers to increase his value on the market heading into this offseason. After the performance he had, it's hard to argue it didn't work to his advantage.
MLB Trade Rumors predicted he would get something similar to a two-year, $40 million type of deal.
No matter how much Martinez could improve this lineup, New York might not be interested in handing out that much money to a 36-year-old, when they have no plans of competing this season.
But, this continues to be something to monitor as the Mets are looking to fill out their roster.
