The New York Mets made an unexpected journey to the National League Championship Series last October, securing the third National League Wild Card spot. They defeated the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies en route to the NLCS.
This offseason, the Mets have been active, bolstering their roster with additional pitching, re-signing Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea, and acquiring Juan Soto.
However, one player who may not return in 2025 is J.D. Martinez. As spring training begins, Martinez is still a free agent, and Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report predicts he’ll sign with the Cincinnati Reds.
“Yes, he’s older, and yes, he struggled toward the end of 2024. Still, he remained capable of hitting the ball hard, ranking in the 94th percentile for his barrel rate,” Rymer noted.
“The Reds are better positioned than most teams to harness Martinez’s remaining power, and that has everything to do with Great American Ball Park. It is one of the great power paradises in MLB.”
Martinez hit just .235 last season with the Mets and had an underwhelming .725 OPS. However, he still hit 16 home runs and isn’t too far removed from a 37-homer campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023.
He would likely benefit from being in a hitter-friendly environment like Cincinnati, especially with the Reds setting their sights on contending in 2025.
As for the Mets, this wouldn’t hurt them too significantly. With Alonso back and Jesse Winker also in the fold, they should have enough offense to get them through the 2025 season.
We’ll see where Martinez ends up signing.
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