LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to terms with designated hitter/outfielder J.D. Martinez on a one-year contract for $10 million dollars for the 2023 season. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated right-handed pitcher Jake Reed for assignment.
Martinez, 35, joins the Dodgers after spending the last five seasons with the Boston Red Sox. In 2022, he played in 139 games for Boston, slashing .274/.341/.448 with 43 doubles, 16 homers and 62 RBI. He was selected for his fourth straight All-Star Game in 2022 after hitting .302 (96-for-318) with 30 doubles, nine homers and 38 RBI in the first half. He finished his five-year stint with Boston with four All-Star appearances, a Rawlings Silver Slugger and a Top-4 MVP finish (2018) and hit a combined .292 (717-for-2458) with 130 homers and 423 RBI.
The five-time All-Star has been in the Major Leagues parts of 12 seasons with Houston (2011-‘13), Detroit (2014-‘17), Arizona (2017) and Boston (2018-‘22), slashing .288/.352/.520 with 339 doubles, 282 homers and 899 RBI in 1,409 career games. He is 18 homers shy from becoming the 154th player in MLB history to reach the 300-homer mark and currently ranks 185th all-time on the Major League home run list.
Martinez was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 20th round of the 2009 First Year Player Draft out of Nova Southeastern University.
