The top free agent of this year’s class — J.D. Martinez — remains unsigned. And a new report says that Martinez could end up with the Washington Nationals.
A dark horse on JD Martinez, according to some in the industry: the Washington Nationals. Have Harper, Eaton and Taylor but could theoretically move Taylor to make room. Boras client, possible insurance policy for big bat if Harper leaves in a year.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 15, 2017
Martinez has mostly been linked to teams like the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Given that they were a few of baseball’s least powerful teams in 2017, that only makes sense.
But Martinez had a monster year in 2017. He hit 45 home runs, drove in 104, and slashed at .303/.376/.690. With a year like that, it stands to reason that just about any team in the league would be interested in him.
The Nationals aren’t exactly a team looking for a big offensive upgrade in 2018, especially not in the outfield. But even with a good outfield, Martinez would be a sizable upgrade and would be especially important in 2019 and beyond if Bryce Harper were to leave.