Veteran slugger J.D. Martinez signed with the New York Mets this week, but he could have had a job last month that would have netted him more money.
Reports emerged in February suggesting Martinez turned down a $14 million offer from the San Francisco Giants, a story that Martinez confirmed on Saturday. He wound up taking $2 million less to sign with the Mets and he cited the Giants’ home ballpark as the biggest reason why.
“If I’m being quite honest, it’s not the most hitter-friendly park for me,” Martinez said of San Francisco’s Oracle Park. “If I go there and I hit .260 with 20 (home runs), people are going to say I’m old and I’m washed up and I’m kind of done, and [I’ll] find myself out of the game. I wanted to give myself the best opportunity. It’s nothing against the Giants organization at all.
Martinez added that “San Fran is a tough ballpark to hit in, especially when you go the other way there. Citi Field is not like that. Most fields aren’t.”
It is an interesting assertion from Martinez and a tough one to argue with. Oracle Park is notoriously pitcher-friendly. As Martinez noted, the 24-foot wall in right field definitely presents a challenge for hitters such as himself who pride themselves on their opposite field power. Citi Field is not considered a hitter-friendly park either, but it is at least a better environment than San Francisco.
There has been chatter that San Francisco’s reputation has hurt its pursuit of some top free agents. That is not the case in Martinez’s situation, but the Giants will not love hearing that their ballpark is turning some hitters away from signing with the club.
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