J.D. Martinez to Toronto isn’t happening
By Paul Taylor
Despite the continued links between free agent J.D. Martinez and the Toronto Blue Jays, the 2015 All-Star will not end up in Southern Ontario.
It has become somewhat of a standing joke that the Toronto Blue Jays will be linked to Jay Bruce at any opportunity. Their connection to J.D. Martinez seems to be reaching a similar level of frequency, thanks to Jon Heyman.
During November, Tip of the Tower’s Curtis Panke referenced Heyman’s speculation that Martinez could end up in Toronto. Now the MLB Network insider is at it again.
Heyman notes that Mark Shapiro and company are indicating they will compete in 2018. And one way the Fanrag Sports Network columnist believes the Toronto Blue Jays can convince fans they are focused on winning, is by signing Martinez.
On the surface at least you can understand this connection, especially with Edwin Encarnacion and now Jose Bautista no longer on the team. Martinez is younger than both players and is coming off a season, where he had a career-high 45 homers and 104 RBI.
Regardless, let’s clear this up now by saying Martinez is not going to end up in Southern Ontario. And the first — and main — reason comes down to cost.
As previously noted by USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale, the 30-year-old is apparently looking for around seven years and $210 million. After all the issues over re-signing Encarnacion, Shapiro and company will not fork out this kind of money for one player.
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In fairness, even Heyman notes Shapiro doesn’t have a history of paying the big bucks. And even though Toronto has a bigger budget than Cleveland, this is what makes the Blue Jays an outsider for Martinez.
Another reason the 2015 All-Star won’t end up in Toronto, comes down to his defence. While the Blue Jays are desperate for help in the outfield, he is poor in this area.
It doesn’t matter how much Martinez’s bat may offset this, at some point the Toronto Blue Jays need to shore up their outfield. Signing him isn’t going to help with this.
Even asking the 2009 20th round draft pick to just play as a designated hitter, is off the table. As recently reported by the Boston Globe‘s Michael Silverman, his preference is to play in the outfielder rather than just serve as a DH.
Martinez is a man in demand, with the likes of the Boston Red Sox, the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies reportedly vying for his signature. However, next time you hear him linked with the Blue Jays, it’s best to dismiss it immediately.
Next: Jays interested in two-time All-Star
What’s your position on Martinez? What do you make of the links between him and the Blue Jays? Would you like to see him end up in Toronto? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.