The New York Mets have had a comparatively quiet offseason whereas seeing divisional rivals just like the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies solely get higher.
Mets proprietor Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns made arguably their greatest splash on Thursday evening although, one week forward of Opening Day.
Designated hitter J.D. Martinez signed a one-year, $12M cope with New York, giving the staff one other right-handed energy bat to affix two-time Residence Run Derby champion Pete Alonso.
The All-Star first baseman was amongst many Mets gamers praising the addition of Martinez on Friday morning.
New York would be the 36-year-old’s sixth cease within the majors since debuting with the Houston Astros in 2011.
After incomes sparse taking part in time with the Astros from 2011-13, Martinez was launched by the group in March 2014 and rapidly picked up by the Detroit Tigers. Martinez had a full breakout season in the course of the 2015 marketing campaign, recording 38 residence runs 102 RBI and a .282/.344/.535 slash line over a career-high 596 at-bats and 158 video games to earn his first All-Star and Silver Slugger honors.
His numbers dropped in 2016 earlier than returning to type in 2017, posting a career-best 45 residence runs and .690 slugging share, in addition to 104 RBI in a cut up season between the Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Martinez signed with the Boston Purple Sox in February 2018 and instantly had the most effective season of his profession.
The previous Twentieth-round draft choose set profession highs throughout his first season in Boston with an MLB-leading 130 RBI and 358 complete bases. Martinez additionally set excessive marks in runs scored (111), hits (188), batting common (.330) and on-base share (.402) to earn his second All-Star staff and win his second Silver Slugger award.
The slugger additionally completed fourth within the AL MVP voting and helped the Purple Sox win the 2018 World Collection title.
Martinez stayed in Beantown by the 2022 marketing campaign — making his third, fourth and fifth All-Star squads in 2019, 2021 and 2022 — earlier than the staff allowed him to stroll two winters in the past and signal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After a comparatively down 2022 season — regardless of the All-Star berth — he powered up once more in 2023, registering his most residence runs (33) and RBI (103) since 2019.
