The Los Angeles Dodgers were extremely reluctant to spend ahead of the season. The free agent (FA) in the team did not show much interest in remaining, and it was not like buying a large player from the outside. The movement to reset the luxury tax club was blatantly revealed.
Again, the dominant evaluation was that it was a move with Shohei Ohtani (29, LA Angels) in mind, who will appear as a free agent (FA) after this season. However, they needed a player to balance the right-handed side, and the Dodgers dropped one player after involving several right-handed resources. It was JD Martinez (36).안전놀이터
Martinez is a player with a solid track record in the league. After making his major league debut in Houston in 2011, he recorded a batting average of 0.292, 130 home runs, 423 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.874 in 1460 major league games. He went through Houston‧Detroit‧Arizona‧Boston and played a key hitter role in each team.
However, since last year, the power has been clearly declining. Last year, he had a batting average of 0.274 and 16 homers in 139 games with Boston. His .448 slugging percentage was well below his career (.523). His batting quality plummeted. Martinez, who is now in his mid-thirties, said all he had to do was fall.
Martinez’s average exit velocity fell to 89.1 mph last year, which wasn’t far off the league average. The hard hit rate was also not good at 41.7%. Besides, Martinez was more of a typical designated hitter with little defensive value. He couldn’t be popular in the market.
But the Dodgers thought differently. He saw that Martinez could still hit the ball well, and that he could get back to where he was two years ago. So he offered a one-year short-term contract. It was fortunate for Martinez that the designated hitter system was introduced in the National League. That’s how the one-year, $10 million contract was concluded. The Dodgers paid an amount that was not too burdensome, and Martinez was able to set the stage for a comeback.
The Dodgers, who hired Albert Pujols two years ago with the lowest salary in the major leagues and put them to good use, had little prejudice against veteran right-handed hitters. The Dodgers’ pioneering plan proved to be correct. Martinez’s batting average dropped to 0.265 in 51 games this year, but he hit 16 homers and recorded a slugging average of 0.610. His slugging percentage of 0.610 ranks first in the National League. It is a splendid resurrection.
Martinez’s average exit velocity has risen to 92.8 mph this year, a de facto record high for a hitter in his mid-30s. His hard hit rate is 53.9%, a personal best that is better than his prime. There are still a lot of strikeouts and few walks, but the veteran’s goal is alive. While making up for the ability to cope with the breaking ball, which was a problem last year, with the number of goals, it is pulling more and creating a stronger batted ball.
Martinez, who once earned an annual salary of more than 20 million dollars, was hired for 10 million dollars and is making good use of it. The burden is not too great. After this season, you can look at the situation within the team and consider renewing the contract, and if the ransom price goes up, you can just let it go. In fact, if the Dodgers recruit Ohtani as planned, there is a high possibility that Martinez will say goodbye to the Dodgers leaving good memories for a year. Following last year’s Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers’ free agent drafting is still proving good.