J.D. Martinez reportedly turned down offer from San Francisco Giants during offseason
The San Francisco Giants reportedly missed out on free agent slugger J.D. Martinez this winter. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Giants made an offer to Martinez, but he ultimately turned it down.
"Before the Giants signed Jorge Soler, they made an offer to J.D. Martinez," Heyman reported on Friday. "Word is the ex-Dodger didn't want to go there."
The 36-year-old put on one of his best performances in years during the 2023 season. He slashed .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and 103 RBI with the Dodgers, but they didn't extend a qualifying offer to him during the offseason.
Martinez, a client of Scott Boras, remains unsigned along with the four other notable Boras clients — Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell, Matt Chapman and Cody Bellinger. Heyman reports that the Rangers are a "potential fit" for the six-time All-Star.
San Francisco ended up signing veteran Jorge Soler to a three-year, $42M contract on Feb. 13. The deal is a perfect match, as Soler will bring much-needed power to a lineup that struggled last season. During the 2023 season, Soler posted a .250/.341/.512 slash line with 36 home runs and 75 RBI.
During his 13-year career, Martinez holds a .287 batting average, 1,002 RBI, 315 homers and 1,639 hits throughout 1,522 career games.
The Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets have reportedly kept in contact with the designated hitter. With Opening Day nearly a month away, it remains unknown whether the slugger will find a new team anytime soon.
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