The Dodgers have agreed to a one-year contract with JD MartinezFanSided’s Robert Murray reports (Twitter link), pending a physical. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that Martinez will receive $10MM. Martinez is represented by the Boras Corporation.
There hasn’t been much public buzz about Martinez’s trip through free agency, as just earlier today, another Heyman report about the Red Sox possibly having interest in re-signing the veteran slugger marked the first team linked to Martinez since he hit the open market . While Martinez did not have many known suitors, the Dodgers were operating quietly, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets that LA “targeted Martinez early in free agency.” According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardayathe Dodgers also had interest in Martinez prior to last summer’s trade deadline.
Martinez will now end up in Los Angeles after all, and be reunited with a few familiar faces. Former Red Sox teammate Mookie Betts is now a fixture at Dodger Stadium, of course, and Martinez has a long history with Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc. It was Martinez’s work with Van Scoyoc in the 2013-14 offseason that helped get his career on track, and turned Martinez into one of baseball’s better hitters of the last decade.
Since those first fateful sessions with Van Scoyoc and Craig Wallenbrock, Martinez has hit .295/.362/.547 with 258 homers over 4916 plate appearances with the Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox. That production led to five All-Star appearances, three Silver Slugger Awards, a key role on Boston’s 2018 World Series championship team, and one big free agent payday in the form of Martinez’s five-year, $110MM contract with the Red Sox in the 2017-18 offseason.
More to come…
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