The New York Mets made a short-term move to improve their offense by signing J.D. Martinez to a one-year, $12 million contract on March 23, with spring training being almost over.
They knew, when they got him, that he would need a few weeks to get himself in game shape since he was one of those Scott Boras clients who waited too long to sign.
After a little bit more than a month, the designated hitter is finally ready to join the Mets’ active roster and make his season debut, via Talkin’ Baseball.
The Mets are finally getting J.D. Martinez pic.twitter.com/pjjtRC18OM
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 26, 2024
Martinez will play for the first time as a Met on Friday night at Citi Field, when the team plays against the St. Louis Cardinals.
He will be a nice addition to a Mets roster that has struggled a bit to consistently score this year.
Their offense has been closer to average in the first month of the 2024 MLB season, but that could change with Martinez and if Francisco Lindor keeps getting hot.
Martinez is a decorated slugger with an impressive resume.
Even last year, in his age-35 campaign, he managed to slug an impressive .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs, 103 RBI, and a .893 OPS in just 113 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Mets would be ecstatic if he can provide 75 or 80 percent of that offensive output this year.
The middle-of-the-order masher will be facing Miles Mikolas and his 6.49 season ERA on Friday night.
Nobody knows if the Mets will be real contenders this season, but having Martinez around and helping him get going could determine a lot of their fate.
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