How adding 'the smartest hitter ever' impacts Mets

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- After years of competing against J.D. Martinez, Jake Diekman became his teammate with the Red Sox on the eve of Spring Training 2022. As he began making new acquaintances in Boston’s clubhouse, Diekman immediately found himself struck by Martinez’s professionalism.

“It’s unreal,” Diekman said. “He’s the smartest hitter ever.”

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That was a common sentiment offered Friday morning in the Mets’ clubhouse, where two of Martinez’s former teammates described him, as Adam Ottavino put it, as “one of the most dedicated hitters you’ll ever see to his craft.” Brandon Nimmo relayed the excitement he felt when owner Steve Cohen crafted a group text to him, Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor to deliver the news.

“It’s going to be good for these guys to get his perspective on things,” Ottavino said. “Obviously, his production is probably going to make us a lot better offense, but I do think he has a good influence on other guys with his hitting.”

The Martinez signing does, however, come with some lingering questions.

When will he join the team?
A day after agreeing to terms on a $12 million contract, Martinez reported to camp in Port St. Lucie to take his physical. He also consented to start the year in the Minor Leagues, a source said, which will give him an extended opportunity to see live pitching after missing nearly all of Spring Training.

The length of that process isn’t yet clear, but hitters -- unlike pitchers -- tend to need only a couple of weeks to ready themselves.

“You’re going to want as many at-bats as it takes to get comfortable, which differs from person to person,” said Nimmo, who shares an agent with Martinez. “There’s a way to speed that up for sure.”

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Largely, the process involves a heavy dose of Minor League Spring Training games, which have fluid rules allowing Major League interlopers to bat more often than they normally would. Because Martinez is a full-time DH, Nimmo added, his ramp-up process should be shorter.

What will his role be?
Over the past two seasons, Martinez has played a total of 12 innings in the outfield. Expect more of the same in Flushing, where the Mets anticipate him being their regular designated hitter. He has averaged 126 games per season since 2022 and featured only modest platoon splits last year at age 35. So long as Martinez is healthy, he’ll be the DH against both right- and left-handed pitchers.

Martinez mostly hit fourth and fifth with the Dodgers last season and should occupy a similar role in Carlos Mendoza’s lineup.

What about Vientos?
Unquestionably, no Met will be affected by the signing more than Mark Vientos, who had been set to receive the lion’s share of DH reps. That will no longer be the case, mirroring the situation Vientos found himself in last year: nothing left to prove at Triple-A, but probably unable to get consistent MLB at-bats.

In a telling bit of narrative, Vientos hit his team-leading fifth spring home run against the Yankees on Friday.

“I feel like I walk around here with a chip on my shoulder,” Vientos said earlier this month. “I feel like that’s just the narrative for me since I’ve been playing this game from a young age.”

The good news for Vientos is that he can still make the team and receive regular playing time while Martinez logs at-bats in the Minors. Consider it a showcase for Vientos to prove he belongs in the Majors -- whether that’s ultimately on the Mets’ bench, where he could platoon at third base with Brett Baty, or in a future trade.

“I would tell Mark that there’s nothing done yet,” Nimmo said. “We’re still making decisions, and it’s still going to take 40 guys to win and get to the playoffs. Just because we made this signing, doesn’t mean that you’re any less a part of this team.”

How will this affect the rest of the roster?
It reduces the chances that either Ji Man Choi or Luke Voit break camp with the team, because unless the Mets consider one of those two a long-term bench solution, the club won’t want to guarantee their salaries just to cut them later in April. Both Voit and Choi have contractual opt-outs this weekend but could decide to go to the Minors.

That means the final bench spot could come down to DJ Stewart and Zack Short. Stewart fits more from a roster-construction perspective, given that he’s a left-handed complement to Vientos at DH. But Short has had an impressive camp and, unlike Stewart, is out of options. The Mets might consider carrying him as a way to keep Short (at least temporarily) in the organization.