I was going to say this seems like an un-Dodgers move, but if you look at the money and contemplate the fact that he's probably a bench bat, maybe that's wrong.

He's probably the everyday DH, or close to it. Much rather this than Bentintendi, Nimmo, Yoshida, Gallo, Bellinger on the more expensive deals that they got. Really only Haniger looks good in comparison to this, of the free agent OF/DH signings.

On a team competing for the World Series, I like this deal: one year, the money is not a killer for a team like this, and if they use him right, he is the definition of a professional hitter. In Boston the last few years, his performance after the first two months of the season largely collapsed in both 2021 and 2022. I suspect if he is spotted a little bit more, he'll be very effective.

How is this an un-Dodger move? Not every move they make is acquiring a Freddie Freeman or Mookie Betts. They get veteran players on discount deals, too. See Thor for an example just this week.

Still a ops+ 120 guy. Clearly not what he once was but if used correctly, he's a nice piece for a nice price

How is this an un-Dodger move?

He only plays one position.

barely, even.

#6 That was before joining the Dodgers. I half expect to see him working out at SS and C.

We have only had the universal DH for one season and the 26-man/13-pitcher limit for less than that so those effects are still rippling through. Certainly NL teams now have more use for a 110 OPS+ bat-only player than they used to and have the roster room to add one. Even just in 2021, JDM probably would have had to sign with the A's or Royals and Franmil Reyes would be looking for a NRI.

So, strictly and annoyingly speaking, we don't know if this is an un-Dodgers move or not because the environment has changed. If they could still carry 14 pitchers, they might not have made this move; obviously if they didn't have a DH, it would be very hard to imagine. Going forward, I will guess that the high payroll teams will usually have one of their aging stars slotted as primary DH but, in any season they don't have somebody like that, they'll frequently grab a 1-year adequate bat.

That plus they've let Seager, T Turner and (so far) J Turner walk so the offense could use a boost.

Kudos to the Dodgers for signing JD for less than the Twins will give up for Gallo.

They get veteran players on discount deals, too. See Thor for an example just this week.

a sore-armed, mediocre SP for $13M is a discount?

2016-18 ain't walkin' through that door again

a sore-armed, mediocre SP for $13M is a discount?

$13M for anybody who isn't pre-arb is a discount these days.

Anyway, it seemed like an un-Dodger move because, yes, he doesn't play any positions, and because he'll be 35 and isn't all that good anymore. You definitely do *not* want him as your starting DH. But considering that it's just one year, and it's couch cushion money for a club like the Dodgers, might as well take a flyer on the off chance he surprises with a late-career good year.

I guess he gets most of the DH time. Curious what they do in the infield. Muncy is probably the starting 3b or 2b now. If 2b, then Lux to short?

Lux to short?

He was a shortstop in the minors, so I guess that's the plan. If last year is the real Lux, he's a decent option.

I wonder about 2B, though. I still think Muncy can't handle it long term, and a guy who K's all the time losing 50 points of BA at the age of 31 is worrying. There is speculation flying around about Betts being moved back there. He has played a tiny number of games there over the last few years, but I don't know if it's a great idea to take a gold glover off on position and put him at another one when the shift is from OF-IF.

Wasn't there also a fair bit of speculation/reporting that JD had helped Mookie with his swing quite a bit when he joined the Red Sox? Or am I making that up?

Heh. It appears that the Red Sox signed Turner.

Wasn't there also a fair bit of speculation/reporting that JD had helped Mookie with his swing quite a bit when he joined the Red Sox? Or am I making that up?

Does Mookie need help anymore?

Take that, AL East! The plan is all coming together.

I'd rather have kept Turner than swapped him for JDM, but the Dodgers have a lot of IF options if they don't make any more moves. Lux and Muncy fill two spots. Chris Taylor is still around. Vargas, Busch, and Amaya are all ready for the show. It is likely that one or more are already average MLB regulars with potential for more.

The need is probably greater in the OF, where the only sure thing is Betts. Otherwise there are mediocre vets (Heyward, Trayce, Taylor) and rookies who are ready (Vargas, Outman, Avans). Would be nice to only have to worry about 1 spot, not 2.

Conforto would make sense here; Drury would too.

It appears that the Red Sox signed Turner.

Red Sox FO has officially announced that, in fact, they are love child of the Rays and A's FO's....

Kudos to the Dodgers for signing JD for less than the Twins will give up for Gallo.

I'm not sure that's actually a winning comparison. I'd rather gamble on JD's bat at this point but Gallo is still a good corner glove -- maybe even good enough to provide some so-so CF innings. Both players are at high risk of total collapse. I wonder if the Dodgers offered Gallo 1/$10, got turned down, weren't willing to go 1/$11 (which seems unlikely) then settled for this. Probably more believable they offered Gallo 1/$8 then decided they'd rather JDM at 1/$10 than Gallo at 1/$11.

I know Gallo's 2022 is about as big a stinker season this side of Bellinger's 2021 but from 2019-21, Gallo averaged 5.3 WAR/650. He's one year removed from a 4.7 WAR year. We can debate whether $11 M is a bit much for a "prove it" contract but he's an excellent "prove it" gamble. The upside in Gallo is much, much higher than JDM. (In the Gallo thread, some Twins fans make the point that the Twins already have lots of LHB corner OF candidates which I'll take their word for but is a different point as to whether Gallo is worth the money.)

You definitely do *not* want him as your starting DH.

Why not? Seriously. He's certainly not useful as anything but your starting DH ... sure, maybe a starting DH that gets at least one day off a week and ends up around 500 PA. But he's got no other use. He's in decline but he still had a 117 OPS+ last year. Throw in some age decline and it's 110. There were only 73 qualified batters last year who topped a 110 OPS+. That's better than Winker, Mancini, Santana Pollock, poor old Nelson Cruz ... essentially the same as Voit, Tellez, J Turner (who's 3 years older). There are only 3 guys on the Dodgers who are likely to hit better -- Freeman, Betts, Smith and Smith is probably the top canidate to give JD that one day off a week.

The Dodgers offense is over-rated at the moment. The two Turners took 22 Rbat with them and Trayce Thompson isn't very likely to give them 11 again. Freeman is the stud hitter but he is turning 33. Their super-subbiness is basically all gone -- Taylor seems the default starting CF now. I think this give them just 9 position players on the 40-man with substantial ML experience -- they can't even field a real lineup yet.

It appears that the Red Sox signed Turner.

That seems odd. Still a very solid player and in pure baseball terms (i.e. what's the money?) a guy I'd much rather have than JDM but a good chunk of that value is in being an average defensive 3B still. But barring (trigger warning for Sox fans) a Devers trade, he's not playing 3B and they want 1B for Casas so Turner is a bit wasted if his primary role is DH.

Is Outman the Dodgers starting CF right now? I'm sure Taylor or Betts could play there, but they need someone to start.

Why not? Seriously. He's certainly not useful as anything but your starting DH

I mean, in which case he's not useful? This isn't complicated, man. He has recently been an OK hitter, he's 35, and what else?

There were only 73 qualified batters last year who topped a 110 OPS+.

Geez, only 73? Out of all the batters who play no position and are going to be 35 next year? He'll be great at as a no-glove regular DH!

Which, by the way, I's be shocked is his actual role. I'm just saying -- JD Martinez should not be your regular DH, and if he is, there's a problem.

Yes, only 73, 2.5 per team. JD Martinez will be the #3 or #4 best hitter on a team. For $10 M. You're arguing that adding a top 100 hitter for $10 M is a bad idea.

If he was 3 years younger and could play the field, you couldn't get him for 1/$10. You can argue that Gallo at 1/$11 would be better; you can argue that J Turner at 1/$15 would be better (the Dodgers declined a $16 M option); you can argue that Haniger at 2/$28 and a player option would be better. You can't argue that JDM as a 1/$10 DH is a bad idea. Which you haven't since you've only given us an unsupported statement.

I won't be surprised if, either due to OF injuries or some better player's minor injury requiring some DH time, he spends a little time in LF but that's not what he's being signed for. He's being signed to DH 5 games a week. And why wouldn't you? What are their better options?

As we all know, almost no teams have regular DHs. It remains to be seen whether the universal DH will make regular DHs more or less common. But if you have a sufficiently flexible roster elsewhere, you can have a bat-only regular DH and, given there aren't that many 130 OPS+ bats just floating around, a 110 OPS+ bat is a pretty good option. His age is immaterial because it's a 1/$10 contract -- all you care about is how he projects for 2023 not what his 2024-26 look like (and 35 ain't exactly ancient).

Does this signing push the Dodgers over the top in some sense? No of course not. You don't expect that from a 1/$10 signing. Does this signing make it substantially less likely that the Dodgers will suck at DH next year? Yes. Is JDM a good bet to deliver the 1-1.5 WAR he's being paid for? Yes. If he busts, will it cause any major problems for the Dodgers? No.

There is zero problem having JD Martinez as your regular DH in 2023 baseball, espcially at 1/$10.

The 2022 Dodgers DH

250 PA from J Turner -- he's gone
108 PA from Smith -- basically one game a week, he will still get those starts
107 PA from Muncy -- this is the interesting one but with both Turners gone and Taylor needed in LF/CF, they need him in the field full-time
50 PA from other Dodgers regulars -- call it 10-12 starts, doesn't really matter if JDM gets these starts or not, maybe he's in LF
172 PA from Rios, Lamb, Vargas, Alberto, McKinstry, Barnes, Outman, Alvarez and Wolters

So in an "expected" world JDM fills the 529 PA from Turner, Muncy and the desperates with a 110 OPS+ bat. What's the problem? That's probably a bit worse than the Turner/Muncy PAs, probably a good bit better than the 172 PA smorgasbord.

But sure, they might plonk him in LF for that one DH game a week that Smith gets -- and why would they do that? Because he's likely one of the top 100 hitters in baseball and they want to keep his bat in the lineup.

The biggest criticism I can come up with for this deal is that, with both Turners gone and Taylor probably needed mostly in LF/CF, they need a good IF more than they need a DH. As the roster stands, what gets JDM into LF is most likely IF injuries that force Taylor into the IF. Still, they'll trot Thompson or Outman out there before JDM and, if they do have to trot JDM out there, it will be for a game or two before they swing a trade to get McKinstry back or swap for 2023's Trayce Thompson.

But sure, they might plonk him in LF for that one DH game a week that Smith gets -- and why would they do that? Because he's likely one of the top 100 hitters in baseball and they want to keep his bat in the lineup.

There is zero problem having JD Martinez as your regular DH in 2023 baseball, espcially at 1/$10.

If you're trying to win a World Series, there's at least some problem with getting 1 WAR from one of your 9 lineup positions. Paying market price for that 1 WAR doesn't seem to make it much better.

you're trying to win a World Series, there's at least some problem with getting 1 WAR from one of your 9 lineup positions.

Stros paid $8M for Yuli Gurriel's -0.3 WAR and survived.

Stros paid $8M for Yuli Gurriel's -0.3 WAR and survived.

Sure, but that shouldn't be plan A, or B, or C.

Both players are at high risk of total collapse.

Gallo just batted .160 with a 79 OPS+ over 126 games. And it's more like 200+ games of .160 hitting going back to July 2021. There's a decent chance he's already collapsed.

We can debate whether $11 M is a bit much for a "prove it" contract but he's an excellent "prove it" gamble. The upside in Gallo is much, much higher than JDM.

This seems like an overstatement. What's Gallo's reasonable upside, 4 WAR? I will say he has a better chance of doing that than JDM, but JDM has a much better chance of putting up a 2-3 WAR season.

Does Mookie need help anymore?

I obviously have no idea. But if that did happen and they bonded and liked to talk hitting and work on it together...not like that would be the first time that factored into a FA signing, especially if it pleases your team's most important player and investment.

I feel Martinez is bit more toasty than Turner. Gonna go with 250/330/400 for Martinez and 270/340/440 for Turner as my projection.

I feel Martinez is bit more toasty than Turner. Gonna go with 250/330/400 for Martinez and 270/340/440 for Turner as my projection.

Factoring in the difference between Dodger Stadium and Fenway Park, this suggests to me that JD is going to have a better season than JT.