The Toronto Blue Jays have signed a lot of big names in the last month and a half.
First, they nabbed 2024 All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman. Then, they handed out their biggest contract of the winter, a five-year, $92.5 million deal for outfield slugger Anthony Santander. Lastly, they signed three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer to add to their rotation.
How about one more seasoned veteran? The Blue Jays are hoping to make it back to the playoffs in an effort to convince Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to stay, so they need all the support they can get.
In a recent article, Just Baseball’s Eric Treuden suggested six-time All-Star designated hitter J.D. Martinez as a potential fit for the Blue Jays, who are one of the few teams left who have at-bats to spare at the DH position.
“Outside of the weird COVID-shortened 2020 season, Martinez hasn’t been a below-average offensive contributor in over a decade,” Treuden wrote. “Even at the age of 36 with the Mets last year, he hit 16 home runs with a .725 OPS and 108 wRC+.”
“Last year, Martinez hit .263 with an .836 OPS and 139 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. His signing would go a long way to helping the Blue Jays turn things around against southpaws in the upcoming season.”
The Blue Jays weren’t the only team in the American League East who struggled against lefties last year–the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees also had noticeably worse splits against southpaws. Signing Martinez could help Toronto separate itself from its division foes against common opposing pitchers.
Martinez is projected for a one-year, $9.5 million contract, per Spotrac. Though the Blue Jays are over the luxury tax threshold, there’s really no such thing as a bad one-year deal, especially for a hitter who could double as an extra coach on the active roster.
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