J.D. Martinez is a bat-for-hire worthy of Padres consideration
Sep 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets designated hitter JD Martinez (28) walks against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
The San Diego Padres need more thump in the lineup. Could a six-time All-Star be the answer?
With the departures of Jurickson Profar, Ha-Seong Kim, David Peralta, and Donovan Solano, the Padres are in desperate need of more depth with the bats. As of now, according to FanGraphs, players like Tirso Ornelas and Eguy Rosario are set to get major playing time at either left field or the designated hitter spot.
The DH spot seems to be a hole in the roster at the moment. There is a perennial All-Star who is a full-time DH who can still swing the bat. J.D. Martinez is a free agent after spending 2024 with the New York Mets. His reputation precedes him as one of the best bats-for-hire in recent memory. He is a six-time All-Star, including three of the last four seasons.
Between 2022 and 2024, he played for the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Mets. In that time, he batted .268 with an above-average 123 OPS+. He has been one of the best power-hitting right-handed hitters in baseball for the better part of a decade. He has 136 doubles since the start of 2021, which ranks ninth in all Major League Baseball. His gap-to-gap skills could be used to the Padres’ advantage at Petco Park.
Over his career, his 331 homers currently ranks eighth among all active players. He is also sixth among active players with 390 doubles.
Yes, the elephant in the room is his age. He will begin the 2025 season at 37 years old. Indeed, his numbers declined slightly last season as his age has begun to show. However, his skillset is one that ages well.
The Padres don’t need Martinez to be the 40-homer threat he was a few seasons ago. In fact, if he was, the Padres would not be able to afford him. They just need him to add length and depth to this lineup. Last year, he had a modest .725 OPS and 106 OPS+. Still above average, but not where he was in the previous seasons. In the Mets’ postseason run to the NLCS, he collected four hits and three RBI.
Adding Martinez would give legitimacy to the bottom of San Diego’s lineup. Gone are the days of 2018 for Martinez, when he smacked 43 homers and finished fourth in MVP voting. Still, he can provide enough thump to compliment other Padres sluggers still in their prime, like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Luis Arraez, and Jackson Merrill.
Even with a down year by Martinez’s standards, he ranked in the 94th percentile for barrel rate and 87th for expected slugging percentage. The bat is still there. It’s also hard to argue against his playoff experience, having played in 41 postseason games with a career .930 OPS in October.
FanGraphs projects the Florida native to get a one-year deal worth about $9 million. He earned $12 million with the Mets last season.
Given the Padres’ financial concerns, getting a designated hitter who still has 20-plus homer power and a bevvy of experience for less than $10 million would be a savvy move.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.