May 13, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter JD Martinez (28) runs out a double against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fifth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Mets Hire Former Player as Special Advisor

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI
By Logan VanDine | Last updated Mar 31, 2026 4:00 PM ET

A familiar face is returning to the New York Mets.

Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reported on Tuesday that the Mets have hired J.D. Martinez as a special advisor to baseball operations. Healey added that it will be a similar role to Carlos Beltran's current front-office position with the team, as he will be around the players in the clubhouse and on the field.

Sources: The Mets are hiring J.D. Martinez as a special adviser to baseball operations.

It’ll be a role similar to Carlos Beltran’s, including time with/around the players in the clubhouse, on the field, etc.

Martinez last played when he was with the Mets in 2024.
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) March 31, 2026

Martinez last played in the major leagues in 2024 when he signed a one-year, $12 million deal with New York, less than a week before the start of the regular season, to be their primary designated hitter.

The 38-year-old began the 2024 season with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets due to not appearing in any spring training games, as well as nursing a back injury. After a few weeks ramping up in Triple-A, the Mets called up Martinez on April 26.

Martinez's lone season with the Mets was filled with highs and lows. The highs perhaps include hitting his first career walk-off home run on June 13 against the Miami Marlins, which earned the veteran slugger the NL Player of the Week award on June 17.

J.D. Martinez has 321 career home runs.

This is his first career #walkoff blast! pic.twitter.com/Tjv2zNTNgb
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2024

The lows of Martinez's 2024 season were when he hit a bit of a dry spell during the second half of the year. He particularly struggled in August and September, which was coincidentally after the Mets acquired Jesse Winker at the trade deadline to assume the full-time DH duties. Martinez batted just .217 in 26 games during the month of August, followed by a dismal .109 in 16 games in September.

In 120 games during the regular season, Martinez slashed .235/.320/.406 with 16 home runs, 69 RBI and an OPS of .726. Martinez also went 4-for-18 (.222) with three RBI in eight postseason games for the Mets.

While Martinez has not officially hung up his cleats yet, he will now return to the Mets in a front office role to pair along with Beltran. The latter is an incoming Hall of Fame inductee, while his jersey number is also set to be retired by the Mets this season.

In 14 seasons with six different teams, Martinez has 331 career home runs, 1,071 RBI and an .864 OPS. Martinez is also a six-time All-Star (2015, 2018, 2019, 2021-2023), a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner (2015, 2018x2), a recipient of the AL Hank Aaron Award (2018) and a World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox during the 2018 season.

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This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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