The San Francisco Giants and New York Mets have had two completely different off-seasons. Giants executive Farhan Zaidi has made splashes for several players, including Blake Snell, Robbie Ray, Jordan Hicks, Jorge Soler, Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, and others. David Stearns, first year president of baseball operations for the Mets, took a different approach consisting of acquiring a higher quantity of players while not committing to retaining several of them long term. Despite the contrast in style it was the New York Mets who recently landed free agent J.D. Martinez.
Breaking: JD Martinez to Mets. $12M
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 22, 2024
J.D. Martinez Signs a One-Year, $12 Million Contract with the New York Mets
With less than a week to go before Opening Day, New York signed J.D. Martinez to a one-year contract. The total value is $12 million, but it includes $7.5 million worth of deferred money. Martinez will receive $1.5 million from 2034-2038 as a result.
The San Francisco Giants Offered J.D. Martinez $15 million
Earlier this off-season, J.D. Martinez had a $15 million contract offer from the San Francisco Giants. He ultimately turned this offer down and took a pay cut. His reason for doing this revolved around ballpark factors and extending his playing career.
J.D. Martinez Cited Oracle Park as a top reason for not signing with the San Francisco Giants
During an introductory press conference with the New York Mets, Martinez was asked about turning down the Giant’s offer. Here is what he had to say regarding his decision to take less money and sign with the Mets.
“It’s not the best hitter-friendly park for me. If I go there (San Francisco) and I hit .260 with 20 [home runs], people are going to say that I’m old and I’m washed up and I’m kind of done, and [I’ll] find myself out of the game. I wanted to give myself the best opportunity.”
Per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com
It will be interesting to see if Martinez’s decision pays off for him this year and in the long term. The 36-year-old also stated during his press conference that he is “addicted to the playoffs,” so team success was another factor that he considered. Taking a lower-valued contract and signing with a team less likely to make the playoffs in the New York Mets seems like a bold strategy.
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