PHOENIX — Fresh off of a run to their first World Series since 2001, the Arizona Diamondbacks are re-tooling as they look to keep pace with their National League West Division rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who just signed the biggest star in baseball, Shohei Ohtani, to a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal.
That deal likely means the Dodgers will not re-sign free agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez, as Ohtani will take over that role for the next decade.
Martinez played for the D-backs in 2017 after a trade from the Detroit Tigers and now it appears the team could be looking to bring the slugger back.
MLB insiders Bob Nightengale and Jon Heyman are both reporting that the D-backs are interested in a reunion with Martinez with Nightengale's report saying Arizona is "hopeful" of signing the 36-year-old, who is a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
Martinez only played 62 games with Arizona in 2017 after being moved from Detroit at the trade deadline, but they were memorable. The best moment came on Sept. 4, 2017, when Martinez hit four home runs against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
Martinez slashed .302/.366/.741 in his 62 games with the D-backs. He hit 29 home runs and had 65 RBI as he helped Arizona advance to the playoffs after beating the Colorado Rockies in the NL Wild Card game.
Martinez became a free agent after that season and signed a five-year, $110 million deal with the Boston Red Sox. He hit 130 home runs and had 423 RBI in his five seasons with Boston before leaving as a free agent and signing a one-year deal with the Dodgers last year.
In 2023, Martinez hit .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and 103 RBI and made his sixth All-Star Game.
The D-backs are not the only team interested in signing Martinez as Heyman reports that the Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets are also interested.
Nightengale's report mentions that another former member of the Red Sox and Dodgers, Justin Turner, is also a possibility for the D-backs to sign as a designated hitter.
The 38-year-old and two-time All-Star played for the Dodgers from 2014 to 2022 before spending the past season in Boston.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.
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