Cleveland Indians: Should Tribe pursue JD Martinez?

With the slow free agent market leaving most of the top players still available, should the Cleveland Indians try to sign the prize of the market, JD Martinez?

We’re getting to the point of the winter where players are going to start panicking and dropping their asking prices. If this continues, perhaps the Tribe could get into the market for some of the top players that were previously out of their price range.

Let’s consider this report from Buster Olney.

Considering Martinez started the offseason asking for more than $200 million, that’s a huge drop. Martinez is still going to ask for more money than that, but it’s a sign that the market isn’t as robust as Martinez and his agent Scott Boras may have hoped.

Last season, Martinez hit .303/.376/.690 with 45 homers and 104 RBIs. He went on a major power surge after the trade from Detroit to Arizona, hitting 29 homers in only 62 games down in the desert. Martinez has hit for a .300 average in three of the last four years. He’s also knocked at least 22 homers each of the past four years, including a 38 home run season in 2015.

Boston needs a bat like Martinez’s more than anyone, and if they’re not yet willing to go more than $100 million, there could be an opportunity for the Cleveland Indians to swoop in.

Do Indians need to sign Martinez?

Not necessarily. But with the free agent losses of Carlos Santana and especially Jay Bruce, the Indians could use another bat. The lineup is just fine without it, but there’s always room for improvement.

Let’s look at the current outfield situation. Bradley Zimmer is in center field and the corners are manned by Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Brantley, provided both are healthy. Also, Chisenhall and Brantley are both scheduled to become free agents next year. If they both leave, the Tribe will be looking for outfielders.

Given the chances of Brantley and Chisenhall going on the disabled list and leaving in free agency, perhaps it would be wise to get one of the top slugging outfielders at what will amount to be a major discount.

Should Tribe pursue Martinez?

If the price for Martinez’s services continue to fall, it makes no sense not to go after him. Getting a bat like that more than makes up for the production lost with Jay Bruce‘s departure. He can play corner outfield even though he isn’t rated as a great defender. Perhaps after Edwin Encarnacion‘s contract expires after the 2019 season, Martinez could move to the DH spot.

Martinez will be a clear upgrade over Brantley or Chisenhall and he would improve the Cleveland Indians chances of winning a World Series in a window that may be closing.

With the payroll projected to be around $135 million, adding Martinez at around $20 million a season is a tough fit. Perhaps trading one of the current outfielders in Brantley or Chisenhall would help clear room for Martinez. Brantley is owed $11 million for 2018. Clearing his contract and left field spot makes sense if Martinez is to come to Cleveland.

Also, trading Jason Kipnis‘s $28 million contract over the next two years would help clear room. The Tribe doesn’t need to deal both Brantley and Kipnis to make a deal for Martinez to happen, but at least one would likely have to go.

With expectations set on a World Series title in 2018, signing JD Martinez would go a long way towards achieving that goal. He’s a very productive player and if his price drops far enough, it makes sense to give him an offer.

Next: Is Christian Yelich a trade target?

So far, the Cleveland Indians have done very little in terms of adding to the roster. Yonder Alonso replaces Carlos Santana on paper, but he may not be able to replace the production. All of Cleveland’s free agents this winter have signed elsewhere so far. Only Craig Breslow and Austin Jackson remain on the market.