The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with free agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman notes that the contract is in the range of $10 million.
Martinez, 35, isn't the MVP-caliber slugger he was several years ago, but he can still be a very productive hitter. Last season, he slashed .274/.341/.448, which was good for a 117 OPS+ and 119 wRC+. Essentially, the expectation is he could be a 15 percent to 20 percent above-average hitter in 2023. As far as the counting stats, he had 43 doubles, 16 homers, 62 RBI and 76 runs in 139 games last season. He had 42 doubles and 28 home runs in 2021, so it's possible there's more home-run power in there for another season.
The Dodgers won an MLB-best 111 games last season, but they've taken a few losses to the offense this offseason, namely Trea Turner while Justin Turner remains a free agent. As things stand, it looks like there would be a big drop off after the top three or four, depending on how well Max Muncy can bounce back from his sub-par 2022 season. Martinez helps lengthen the lineup a bit. It likely looks something like this, at present:
- Mookie Betts, RF
- Freddie Freeman, 1B
- Will Smith, C
- Max Muncy, 2B
- J.D. Martinez, DH
- Gavin Lux, SS
- Chris Taylor, LF
- Trayce Thompson, CF
- Miguel Vargas, 3B
There's obviously still plenty of offseason left and it's possible, just to name one possible move, they end up bringing Justin Turner back. That is to say, the lineup is subject to change. Martinez certainly beefs it up a bit, though.
This marks only the second time Martinez has been with an NL team, as he spent 62 games with the Diamondbacks in 2017.
