Philadelphia Phillies Check In On Tigers’ J.D. Martinez

According to a report, the Philadelphia Phillies inquired about Tigers slugger J.D. Martinez. Does he make sense for the rebuilding club?

The Philadelphia Phillies are generally expected to make modest moves this offseason as they continue their rebuild process, but they have been linked to one of the bigger names on the trade market. Jon Paul Morosi of MLB Network and FOX Sports reports that the Phils talked to the Tigers about outfielder J.D. Martinez. He cautions, however, that the discussions did not really get anywhere.

On the surface, the Phillies’ supposed interest in Martinez is somewhat of a surprise. He is only under contract for one more season, which doesn’t seem to gel with the team’s current long-term approach. By even the most optimistic projections, Philly likely won’t be a postseason factor in 2017.

However, the 29-year-old Martinez is due $11.75 million next year, a very reasonable price tag given his production over the past few seasons. He certainly wouldn’t be a financial burden for the Phils or any other acquiring club. But that could inflate his trade cost as teams compete to gain an offensive edge next year.

During the last three seasons, Martinez has been a potent and somewhat underrated member of the Tigers lineup. Since 2014, he owns a .299/.357/.540 slash line with 83 home runs and 246 RBI. He set career highs in 2015 with 38 homers and 102 RBI. His 143 wRC+ from 2014-2016 is the eighth-best mark in the American League.

Martinez was limited to 120 games this year due to an elbow injury, but when he did take the field he continued to show his prowess at the plate. His .373 on-base percentage was a career high, while his .307 batting average and .908 OPS were close to being personal bests. He does strike out a lot though (25 percent career K-rate), and some might look at his .378 BABIP this year (and his .389 BABIP in 2014, for that matter) as a sign that a regression could be coming.

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The Giants and Dodgers are also said to be in on Martinez, and they might seem like more conventional suitors. However, there could be some logic to the Phillies pursuing him if they decide to pick up talks again. Though they have been relatively frugal in recent years as they carry out their rebuild plan, the Phils could be ready to spend again sooner than you might think. Perhaps they start that trend a bit earlier by trading for Martinez and signing him to a multi-year extension?

Or the Phillies could take a gamble by acquiring Martinez now, anticipating a strong first half from him, and then flipping him to another club at the trade deadline for a hopefully bigger haul than what they gave up? That would be a definite risk, though, and with the teams reportedly already in play, it’s hard to see Philly getting Martinez for anything resembling a bargain. They would likely need to part with one or two of their more prominent prospects, which doesn’t make much sense given their rebuilding strategy.

MLB.com’s Jason Beck says that it has become abundantly clear that the Tigers are more likely to move Martinez than any of their other veteran hitters, such as Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler. The new CBA only adds to their motivation to trade him now. While they could hold on to him and give him a qualifying offer next year, the draft pick compensation will not be as good under the new agreement.

Next: Best Fits for Matt Wieters

J.D. Martinez will be a name to monitor during the upcoming Winter Meetings, while the Phillies and Tigers should be two of the more intriguing teams in general as they position themselves for the future.