Report: Giants, Tigers have discussed trade involving J.D. Martinez
The San Francisco Giants need help in the outfield, and despite the availability of obvious free-agent fits like Yoenis Cespedes and Dexter Fowler on the open market, they've reportedly turned to the trade front for a solution.
San Francisco has been involved in trade discussions with the Detroit Tigers surrounding power-hitting outfielder J.D. Martinez, sources told FOX Sports' Jon Morosi.
Tigers general manager Al Avila stated in early November that his team's goals were to shed payroll and get better next season, and moving the $11.75-million contract of Martinez, who will become a free agent at the end of 2017, could be a start.
Martinez, who's been one of the game's most consistent power-hitting outfielders over the past three seasons, hasn't engaged in long-term contract talks with the Tigers' front office despite his great performance, which could be a precursor to the end of his tenure in the Motor City.
| SEASON | HR | 2B | RBI | OPS | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 23 | 30 | 76 | .912 | 4.0 |
| 2015 | 38 | 33 | 102 | .879 | 5.0 |
| 2016 | 22 | 35 | 68 | .908 | 1.8 |
Martinez wasn't a good defender in the outfield for the Tigers last season, posting a minus-22 defensive runs saved. So, if a trade were to happen, it would be interesting to see how well he plays defensively in the cavernous surroundings of AT&T Park.
The 29-year-old could potentially join Denard Span and Hunter Pence in the outfield, and add a middle-of-the-lineup presence to the Giants, which finished 28th in home runs, 19th in runs scored, and 20th in OPS across all of baseball.