Perhaps the New York Mets are not so satisfied with their impending designated hitter situation, after all.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post on Tuesday, Mets owner Steve Cohen has given president of baseball operations David Stearns the “go-ahead” to pursue Martinez and there is mutual interest between the club and the veteran designated hitter.
There are other teams, including the Los Angeles Angels, who are believed to be in the mix for the 36-year-old. Martinez slashed .271/.321/.572 (.893 OPS) with 33 home runs and 103 RBI with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year.
New York’s DH situation is unclear and rather precarious heading into 2024. First-year manager Carlos Mendoza has 24-year-old Mark Vientos getting a first crack at the gig, but he’s batting a paltry .194 during spring training after posting a .205 average and .609 OPS across two seasons of sporadic playing time.
DJ Stewart and Tyrone Taylor are also in the mix for the position. So is Starling Marte — the DH option providing the option of load management after an injury-riddled 2023 season.
Martinez provides a much more proven option to bolster the middle of the Mets’ lineup behind Pete Alonso. His price tag, which could exceed $10 million annually, would be taxed 110% as Cohen’s team has exceeded the fourth tier of MLB’s luxury tax threshold.
