2 Teams Appear to be Finalists For Free Agent JD Martinez

He's the best free agent bat still on the market, and spring training continues to roll on without JD Martinez. But according to insider Jon Heyman, two teams are in the running for the 36-year-old slugger, the LA Angels and the New York Mets. 

Martinez had his third straight All-Star season, and sixth overall, last year in LA with the Dodgers. He slugged .572, his best mark in five seasons while blasting 33 homers with 103 RBIs. And he did it all in just 113 games. 

New York Mets

The Mets, it would seem, have the greatest need for Martinez, and the interest is said to be "mutual". The team had four players start at least 10 games at DH last year, compiling a meager .220/.312/.403 slash line.

 They currently have Mark Vientos and non-roster invitee Ji Man Choi pencilled in as the DHs for 2024. Choi is coming off a season in which he batted just .163 in only 39 games of action split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. Vientos batted just .211 and had an OPS+ of 69 and things aren't going any better this spring, as he's 6 for 31 (.194) with eight strikeouts. 

LA Angels

The Angels currently have Brandon Drury slated as their designated hitter to open the season, but with plenty of experience playing both third-base and second base he will undoubtedly be spending a lot of time at those two positions, as we all know that Anthony Rendon (3B) will find himself on the injured list for large swaths of the season, and Luis Rengifo (2B) has never played more than 127 games or cracked the 500 at-bat mark in a single season. 

 Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports