Inside The Mets

Ex-Met J.D. Martinez projected to land with AL contender

Former New York Mets slugger J.D. Martinez could sign with this elite AL team in free agency.
Grant Young|
Jun 25, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (28) celebrates his RBI double against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jun 25, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez (28) celebrates his RBI double against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York MetsNew York YankeesMilwaukee Brewers

Although MLB Opening Day is just a few weeks away, several key members of the New York Mets' 2024 roster remain unsigned as free agents.

Before Monday, southpaw pitcher Jose Quintana could be counted among these. But it has recently been announced that Quintana has signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.

That now leaves two members of the Mets' lineup — Jose Iglesias and J.D. Martinez — that are still seeking teams in free agency before the 2025 season begins. While there has been much speculation about whether New York might reunite with Iglesias (especially considering the team's open competition at second base), that doesn't appear likely at this point.

And there's simply no room for Martinez to return to Queens, given the other offseason moves the Mets' front office has made.

Read more: This Mets infielder is predicted to win second base competition

Given his impressive track record of MLB success, there's little doubt that Martinez will find a new team in the coming weeks. And a March 3 article from Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report asserts that his most likely destination could be the New York Yankees.

"With Giancarlo Stanton shelved with elbow tendinitis, the Yankees have reportedly been in contact with veteran J.D. Martinez, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post," Reuter wrote.

"Don't be surprised if a deal gets done in the near future; otherwise, Ben Rice is the leading in-house candidate for an expanded role," he added after predicting that Martinez would be playing DH and hitting sixth in the Yankees' Opening Day lineup.

Across his MLB career, Martinez has hit .279 with an .827 OPS, 20 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 48 runs scored in 111 games against the Yankees. The Yankees would probably want him on their roster for that reason alone.

Recommended Articles

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

Home/News